James Cameron’s Titanic (1997) has been an object of both adoration and scorn. The film could be termed a real crowd pleaser - a blockbuster historical epic appealing to men, women, young and old alike. Yet, I know of several people who absolutely detest it. How could a “crowd pleaser” generate disdain?
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Detractors often mock the film‘s script, acting and cheesy dialogue. As I rewatched it, I did find a few lines to be a tad overripe (“A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets.” and “…he saved me, in every way that a person can be saved!” are two that spring to mind.). I also deemed a few supporting characters to be two dimensional and even cartoonish. That’s especially true of the villain, a stereotypical power-hungry snob played by Billy Zane. Zane makes the best of his role, but doesn’t have much with which to work. The same is true of David Warner, who plays the Zane character’s thuggish manservant. Kathy Bates does a great job as the “Unsinkable” Molly Brown, but that, too, is mostly a one-note part.
That said, I honestly find little fault with the cast itself. I‘ve heard criticisms of some performances, particularly those of the two leads. However, I was struck by how good Kate Winslet actually was. I totally bought her in the role of Rose. Leo DiCaprio, as Jack, gave a more average performance, but it unquestionably got the job done. Now that DiCaprio’s proven his chops with films like The Departed and The Aviator, it’s interesting to go back and see his beginnings.
In any case, Titanic, like the event it depicts, is bigger and grander than any two characters or bits of dialogue. It’s a romance, but it’s also an historical drama, an old-fashioned movie epic, a suspense film and a special effects extravaganza. Some call Titanic a “chick flick,” but really, that’s like saying that The Godfather is only a mob movie. Titanic consists of many elements, and there’s something to satisfy virtually every taste.
 For me, the historical detail is the big draw. There’s no question that Cameron immersed himself in his topic. Our story is not merely set on the Titanic, it spans the entire ship. We see the steerage area, the engine room, the bridge, the gymnasium, the first class dining area, the famous grand staircase, the crew’s quarters, the telegraph room and…well, there’s no way I’ll remember it all! Captain Edward Smith, First Officer William Murdoch, White Star Line owner Bruce Ismay, ship’s designer Thomas Andrews and famous passenger Molly Brown all receive a due amount of screen time. We catch glimpses of other famous passengers such as John Jacob Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim. We see how crew, wealthy passengers and lower class immigrants all lived and co-existed on one gigantic ship.
What’s even more astounding, perhaps, is that all that detail actually fits the story! My description above makes the film sound like an endless “show and tell,” but it’s far from it. Cameron’s story gives our two protagonists a reason for being “all over the ship” and meeting all those people. You’d think that the plot would be contrived, but it seldom feels that way. It all flows together naturally.
 Cameron keeps the suspense at a high level, as well. As Rose and Jack run through the ship, they make one death-defying escape after another. Cameron includes a framing sequence with a 101-year Rose, so the audience knows that she survives. I actually think that this makes the movie more suspenseful! We don’t know how Rose survives, and we don’t know if Jack survives with her. Credit goes to Cameron for making us care. Even on this second viewing, I was often on the edge of my seat.
Of course, you can’t discuss Titanic without mentioning the film’s romance. It’s the heart of the story. I noted that the historical detail fits the story. The romance, too, fits the story - and the Titanic is the perfect backdrop for it. Ultimately, it’s a traditional tale of “forbidden love” across class lines. To study the Titanic tragedy is to study the class stratification of 1912. In Jack and Rose, the class issues are given a human face. More importantly, perhaps, the pair serve as our emotional anchor in the midst of a huge, sprawling, chaotic event.
Then again, maybe I talk too much! If you want to settle in for a good long, involving movie, then Titanic is a perfect choice. Grab a tub of popcorn and pull up a chair.
 DVD Presentation
The movie is presented in a widescreen version, enhanced for 16:9 TVs.
The aspect ratio is 1:66:1. Language options - all available in Dolby Digital - are English 5.1, English 2.0 Surround, French 2.0 Surround and Spanish 2.0 Surround. Subtitles are available in English. Apparently, the film wasn’t digitally remastered, but then, it’s a recent film. I can tell you that it looked and sounded good to me!
Extras
You want extras? Lordy, Lordy, is this set loaded! The film itself is split onto two discs (It has a 194 minute running time.). There are four commentary tracks: One with Director James Cameron; one with Producer Jon Landau and Executive Producer Rae Sanchini; one with cast members Kate Winslet, Gloria Stuart and Lewis Abernathy; and one with historians Don Lynch and Ken Marschall. One of my common complaints about DVD sets is that the special effects and directing sometimes receive a disproportionate amount of attention. I’m thus impressed here that they’ve covered so many different aspects in so much detail. As a history buff, I was especially delighted to see that they didn’t neglect the real Titanic. While watching the film, you can also toggle the remote to view “Behind the Scenes” featurettes, if you’re so inclined.
 The set offers an additional plethora of features and featurettes viewed separately from the film itself. There’s an alternate ending and an astounding forty-five minutes of deleted scenes! There are photo still galleries, a “time lapse” view of the set’s construction (much more fascinating than you might think!) and a faux 1912 newsreel. Some of these items include commentary tracks. Disc 3 also includes a forty-five minute Fox TV Special on the movie - presumably aired to promote the film during its initial release. I found this a cut above most such documentaries. Rather than just compiling snippets of cast and crew interviews, the documentary also showed some of the filming and pointed out real historical events in the movie. Past interviews with Titanic survivors were included, as well.
 Is there any bad news? Of a minor sort, perhaps. While Kate Winslet appears in the extras, DiCaprio is noticeably absent. I don’t know why this is, but of course, if he chose not to participate, then the DVD producers are not at fault. Secondly, I didn’t see any original movie trailers, and for some reason, I always like to view those. Lastly - and perhaps most nefariously - that horrid Celine Dion video is present. I suppose you can always choose not to watch it, but its very existence here can still poison a few kilobytes.
The Bottom Line
Titanic is not a perfect film, but it’s a well-made and entertaining film and a landmark cultural event of its time. If you’re already a fan, though, then my descriptions here alone should make you drool!
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