Despite its delayed schedule for a July 4th opening, Titanic will strike a crushing blow to movie history. Budgeted at over $200 million, it is the most expensive movie ever made. However, it is this critic's opinion that Titanic will get its money back and possibly even double it. Not only will it attract all those saying "Ooh! Special effects," but it will attract those who want history, love, action, or my favorite, excellent screen writing. It was dramatic, exciting, romantic, and very powerful and moving.
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, Titanic tells the epic story of the Unsinkable Ship and two lovers caught up in the mayhem of one of the most horrible disasters of all time. Bill Paxton plays present-day Titanic explorer Brock Lovett, a man with an inspiration to study the buried behemoth, as well as its long lost treasures. With a tip from a 101-year-old female survivor, Rose Bukater (Gloria Stuart), he allows her to come aboard his ship, where she tells her story to the crew of explorers.
Kate Winslet plays the young Rose DeWitt Bukater, a spoiled rich English girl staying in the first class area. Her rich fiancé, Cal (played by Billy Zane), has also come along for the trip to New York.
The problem is, Rose does not love Cal. The only reason she is getting married is because her oppressive mother (Frances Fisher) wants to share his wealth. Depressed, Rose walks along the deck where she meets Jack Dawson (DiCaprio), a poor, fun-loving, but charming young American man who remarkably manages to enter the voyage in the 3rd class section of the famous White-Star cruise ship. Dawson comforts her, and in a "heroic act," saves her from falling overboard. They fall into a sort of "forbidden love," where nothing in the world can tear them apart, although Rose's fiancé would certainly try. Well, that is, almost nothing.
On April 14, 1912, the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank into the freezing depths of the Atlantic Ocean. Of course, there was more to it than that. With thousands more people aboard than the life boats could hold, rioting passengers,and corrupt crewmen, Titanic shows the tragic story of the Unsinkable Ship in a way that has never been done before. The producers built a model (if you can call it a model) "Titanic" that was just 10% smaller than the actual ship was. Along with that, amazing computer effects and even a submersible set added to the excitement of the rapidly-sinking cruise liner.
One thing I really liked about Titanic was its 3 hour and 20 minute running time. This made it so that at the two-hour mark, when most movies are drawing to a close, Titanic is just reaching its climax.
Marvelous writing by writer, producer, editor, and director James Cameron allowed the movie to cut between the main story of the two lovers and the tragic stories and sacrifices of all those aboard the ship on that fateful night. The beautiful musical score by James Horner fit perfectly with the changing emotions of the story.
There has not been a movie in the theaters like Titanic in quite some time, if ever there was. A great cast, script, and story combine to give us an outstanding view of the catastrophic 'maiden voyage.' Titanic is so good, it deserves to make a fortune on profits just for bringing this excellent movie into our society.
-Ethan Kaplan
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12/19/97