The 1997 film “Titanic” directed by James Cameron is one of the most successful and iconic movies in cinema history, breaking records and charming viewers worldwide. The film celebrated its 25th anniversary with a special remastered re-release on Feb. 10, 2023, bringing the iconic film to the big screen once more.
The film portrays the story of a young Rose Dawson Calvert, initially known as Rose DeWitt Bukater (Gloria Stuart, Kate Winslet), and Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) aboard the RMS Ship Titanic in 1912. Dicaprio and Winslet had incredible chemistry on screen, with Dicaprio bringing Jack to life with his bright mannerisms and charming attitude. Margaret Brown’s performance (Kathy Bates) is equally charming, as she befriends Jack and goes on to provide him with a suit for a luxurious dinner.
The production had incredible visual effects, such as the famous “I’m flying” scene where Jack and Rose watch the sunset on the ship. The CGI used to create the large ship, the boats, and the overall scenery was beautiful and helped further immerse me into the Titanic experience.
Cameron also paid incredible attention to detail, going on to show class differences through the mannerisms, costumes, and cabins of the passengers. For instance, Rose had a large suite that was decorated with exquisite paintings, whereas third-class passengers like Jack and Fabrizio had to share rooms that contained two bunk beds.
I enjoyed watching Jack’s dinner with the first-class passengers, as he was able to blend in and easily charm them with his wits and humble attitude. The film created a nice contrast between the stiff upper class and the carefree lower class, as shown through the drinking and dancing when Jack and Rose went to a “real” party.
“Titanic” remains relevant to today’s audiences. The film resonates with many different kinds of viewers from younger to older generations and also brings out many different emotions in the audience, positive and negative alike.
The many struggles of the working class, sexism, and domestic abuse are highlighted throughout the film. The film does a phenomenal job of creating a feeling of impending doom. The second half of the film is more serious, and I felt a sense of loss and isolation watching the working-class characters attempting to survive. Scenes such as the Irish mother (Jenette Goldstein) telling a story to her children for one last time as she dies on the ship, or when Captain Smith (Bernard Hill) chooses to stay back in his office for one last time were enough to bring me to tears.
However, the romance occurred very quickly considering the pair only stayed on the ship for two days. The movie stretched and dragged on many topics, such as the animosity between Jack and Caledon Hockley, Rose’s fiance (Billy Zane). The scene in which Caledon attempted to shoot Jack and Rose was very unnecessary given the tension of the already sinking ship and felt unrealistic and unrelated to what was happening.
On a final note, although I initially believed that this movie was solely about romance, this movie exceeded my expectations. “Titanic” remains a work of art and draws on an emotional connection between the audience and the plot. The 25th Anniversary is a perfect opportunity to experience the glory that is “Titanic.”