It is a well-accepted fact that, without a doubt, director and producer James Cameron is a genius when it comes to cinematic arts. And, it really wouldn’t come as a huge surprise to people familiar with or who have witnessed his works when someone claims that the 1997 romance-disaster film Titanic could be his magnum opus. The said movie has and continues to play, and later on, it breaks the hearts of its viewers with its heart-wrenching scenes and feel-good dialogues. It leaves an impression that has spanned years, or even decades, and yet continues to inspire and impress even after the first four watches. Continue But what makes it such a timeless piece? A devastating disaster immortalized in such a way that people would continue to think and reflect on what would have happened if it had not sunk, and it did, even more so for the people who were in it. The creative minds behind this film used this as a starting point to create arguably the greatest film of all time by incorporating a fictional romantic story recounting the power struggles, discrimination, and class distinctions of that time period. This article aims to review and critique what made this film great by inspecting its elements along with the methods and strategies of its creators, and how it all came together in a three hour long blockbuster drag.
The movie Titanic is set in modern times, when a group of researchers found the sunken “ship of dreams”: the RMS Titanic, in search of a historically valuable diamond, or the “heart of the ocean.” The RMS Titanic was a luxury liner bound for America on her maiden voyage on April 10, 1912. “And I was,” according to elderly Rose Calvert, née DeWitt Bukater, a passenger on the ship who, formerly known for having Harboring the dreams of many, it has now fallen to the depths of the ocean in which it once sailed, taking with it the lives of some 1,500 people on board. She recalled her experiences to the crew and to her granddaughter, recounting the things she did aboard the Titanic in all her former splendor from her departure to her fall. Having been forced onto the ship to marry someone she didn’t love just because her mother wanted to continue living in luxury, young Rose DeWitt Bukater didn’t expect to meet the one person she would love and never forget. to her last breath: Jack Dawson, American drifter and artist. He, on the other hand, was able to board the ship together with his best friend, Fabrizio De Rossi, on a third-class ticket that they got by a stroke of luck, that is, winning a game of poker. The two leads were able to fall in love even because of the social distinctions imposed on them, much to the chagrin of Rose’s fiancé, Caledon Hockley. Jack was able to experience luxury with the help of another passenger, while Rose was able to experience the freedom of being with the general smaller masses. However, the climax came, literally, in the form of a huge iceberg that caused the death of the ship and those on board. The ship continued to succumb to the great waters below it, until she sank completely, with Rose’s heart being more valuable than the diamond she was given. This earned her the famous scene where Rose is kept afloat on a piece of wood while she is shown Jack freezing from dangerously low water temperatures, ultimately leading to his death. She survived, for one thing, and hid from her fiancée and led a life of relative simplicity far from everything she once had and, at the same time, didn’t have.
The collective genius of Cameron and his team comes into play in every second of the film, made with skill and purpose, with not a single scene standing out. These are the reasons that, I think, made it what it is and established the film as one of the best in the industry:
Theme
The film talks about a social crisis evident at the time the real RMS Titanic sank along with other themes such as the pressures on women of yesteryear who had no purpose or obligation except to be married to a man. who will provide them with luxury and whom they will serve. The film beautifully captures the problems of our society, in the guise of a tragic romantic film centering on a disaster blamed primarily on man’s recklessness and indifference.
Plot/Urbanization
All of the plot points and clues were beautifully incorporated into the character lines, like the Titanic was supposed to be unsinkable and “God himself can’t sink.” [the] ship”, a harbinger of his infamous fate of falling prey to the film’s iconic iceberg instead of a deus ex machina. All of the things mentioned in the first act were used to their fullest potential by the time the second half arrived. This goes without saying. when, take for example, Jack’s ability to sketch, which of course has to happen at some point in the story, as it was inadvertently announced in the opening minutes of the film’s use of Occam’s razor, and done with a splendid and artistic execution.
characters
As for the characters, none of them was unimportant for the development of the story, since they all had a role to play in what would be the lives of the people in it. Even the girl Caledon picked up had a part to play in reestablishing Caledon’s persona as someone who will take advantage of a situation like that.
symbolisms
The film also features, rather, revolves around the art seen in the film, such as Jack’s intro scene where he defines himself by the art style he uses and the themes of his sketches, and when Jack drew Rose” wearing alone [the diamond]”which reported that they are so far along in their relationship, and such. It’s also worth noting the importance of how Jack was treated when he was wearing clothes that were significantly more expensive than what he was wearing. Symbolism in the film may also include the the chaos surrounding the evacuation ramps to the greed in the hearts of the people, as well as their ability to abandon others just to save their own skin.
Adjustment
The RMS Titanic, which is the predominant setting of the film, was masterfully designed and recreated to resemble one of the most luxurious cruise ships of the 20th century. That era was described as an era of taking risks with other countries, such as America, and exploring their lands among others, but, at a price, of course. That’s why the setting sets the story up for a great deal of discrimination and class distinctions.
Dialogue/lines
The lines in the film are both iconic and fascinating, all of which are true of the entirety of the film. In the scene where Jack and Rose first met, i.e. when Rose was trying to jump off the boat, Jack said the memorable line “if you let go, I’ll jump in there after you”, which was retaken at the end as “you you jump, I jump.” This, along with many other lines that had a huge impact on themselves and the story, made up the entirety of the film’s undeniably moving cinematic lines.
Other elements
The film’s soundtrack, which complements the scenes and the overall mood of the film, is also noteworthy. As is the case with Cameron’s fascination with fine art and intricate detail, evident by the attention to detail Cameron had when he drew Jack’s portrait of Rose, as well as the complexity, but at the same time, simplicity. of the frame resources used.
All things considered, the movie doesn’t leave much room for people to question the ingenuity of the work.
For all it’s worth, I think this film is worth every award it’s gotten from its release onwards, along with the acclaim and overwhelming response from critics and audiences alike. What was once a tragedy became an art form and has revolutionized cinematic practice today. I hope this film will remain in the hearts of each and every person on whose hearts it has left its impression. It is as timeless as it is timely for all the themes we see that are valid to this day, and probably will remain until the rest of the days for us people. True to the message of the story, the years may pass along with the heart, but it will never let go.