I remember the build up to when this film was originally released. All the gossip and stories of James demanding more and more money to make the film. The film was being constantly delayed and that James was a tyrant on set. Most of this gossip was silenced when we got to see the first trailer. It looked amazing. There was still some concern about how it would perform. Would it make its exorbitant budget back? The lengthy running time was such a concern that I remember reading that cinema staff were told to tell people that if the asked how long the film went for to say it was 2 hours and 74 minutes long and not 3 hours and 14 minutes long. That people would be turned off if they realised it went for more than 3 hours. I even remember lining up outside what was once the Hoyts cinema on George Street in Sydney the morning it was released to see the film in 70mm.
I remember being totally blown away by the film. While the first half was a fairly cliched and soapy romantic drama, once you got to the second half with the ship sinking you totally got your money's worth. James had obviously gone to a lot of trouble an effort to research the Titanic because you can see all the details in every moment. You can tell that things are very authentic and it shows. That was possibly part of the appeal of the film too. I know that most of the appeal was the love story too and how it appealed to young girls. The guys then had the appeal of the disaster element in the second half and seeing people die. James had gone to a lot of trouble to recreate the sinking of this ship and you can see all that trouble on the screen. The second half of the film is an amazing piece of film making and special effects coming together for the service of the story. Much like the ship itself you need to see it in all its glory on the big screen. I think the impact is lessened on the small screen. Now to add to that impact we have the experience of 3D. What I loved about the 3D effect was the sense of scale it added to some scenes. It added depth to heights so that you really got to feel the vertigo. I also saw the film in Imax which means the scale was even bigger. You really felt the size of the ship.
While Leonardo DiCaprio had some success with 'Romeo + Juliet' the year before 'Titanic' came out, it was this film that made him a star. He is definitely an excellent actor and not just a pretty face. I just wish he would do a comedy. Kate Winslet also became a star off the success of this film. And she is truly a brilliant actress. I think she is able to add a great deal of dignity and grace to the cliched dialogue and scenes during the romantic first half. Billy Zane did not seem to go on to anything after this. His villainous role is probably the most cliched thing in the film. A real nasty guy that is fairly predictable in his behaviour. Kathy Bates is excellent as Molly Brown. Frances Fisher makes a great overly protective mother. Gloria Stewart is wonderful as the older Rose and narrator. The framing story she is in has some of the most daggy dialogue I've heard in a film but it serves to lead you into the main story.
No one could have predicted how popular this film became. It was the first film to earn more than 1 billion dollars in ticket sales alone. It still stands the test of time and has a very timeless quality. See it on the big screen if you haven't already.
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