Titanic Review
by Joseph Toscano (scarjt AT buffnet DOT net)January 7th, 1998
Movie Review: Titanic
By Joseph Toscano
--
January 1998
[PG-13]
194 Minutes, 3.2 hours
Directed by James Cameron
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Gloria Stuart, Frances Fisher, Kathy Bates, Bill Paxton
Score: ***** / ***** or 9 / 10
SPOILER WARNING - some of the review may contain information regarding the plot of the movie. If you haven't seen it already, take caution. --
No movies are really perfect. They always have flaws, and things that just irk me the wrong way. Sometimes a movie can be close to perfect, in my opinion. Titanic is one of the movies that is close to perfect in a technical sense.
One thing that many critics have been raving about is if the $200 million pricetag of Titanic can be paid off, or even if the movie was worth that ammount of money. In my opinion, this shouldn't be the main issue. The main issue should be wether the movie was simply a good movie or not. But if I am to answer that question of wether it was worth that hefty ammount, I'd have to answer with a resounding "YES!"
First let's discuss what kind of movie Titanic is. Titanic is not an action movie. Titanic is a well made love story that has elements of classic Cameron suspense woven into it. After all, when a boat is sinking, everything isn't okay. Things go wrong, and thus you have suspense. But don't look at the movie as if it were a simple action movie, because it's not. It's many things woven into one. A love story, a comedy, and a thriller. One of the strengths of Titanic is how it's many things at once.
Titanic is also three stories at once. The story of Brock Lovett (Bill Paxton) searching for the lost diamond that Rose Bukater (Kate Winslet) wore back in 1912. It's also the story, being told in flashback, regarding two lovers torn because of class destinction and a jealous fiancee who wants nothing but to win. It also chronicles the sinking of the Titanic, which is wonderfully portrayed through amazing special effects.
DiCaprio and Winslet work together seamlessly on the screen, and there couldn't have been a better match-up for this movie. They both performed wonderfully and are definate Oscar contenders.
James Horner does perhaps one of his best scores yet with this movie, incorperating nice vocals to make the mood explode into a colorful experience. Without the music, Titanic would have gotten perhaps only a 6/10 on my rating scale. You don't know how much music adds to a movie until it's taken out.
All in all, this movie is a masterpiece. Although corny at times, it soars with all of the elements that Cameron has masterfully arranged. It really makes you think they went back in time and captured the whole thing happening.
Titanic is one of my favorites, but rates low on the scale of them, simply because it's so highly depressing. But it is a very well made movie. I'd reccomend it to anyone.
-- Joseph Toscano (January 6, 1998) [email protected]
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
