April 10th will mark the 100th anniversary of the day the “unsinkable” Titanic set sail on its ill-fated maiden voyage. The first time I can recall this tragedy making an impact on my consciousness was when I saw a drawing (at a young age) that demonstrated visually just how deep the Titanic sank. I remember a feeling of awe that this ship would be laying at that kind of depth. It was, and still is, hard to imagine. Years later when they finally visited Titanic, bringing to us images of its final resting state, the awe rose up all over again.
15 years ago my wife and I sat in a theater in Tulsa, OK on opening weekend to see the film that became bigger than even James Cameron probably would have ever dreamed. I remember tears rolling down my cheeks during the scenes of the bodies floating in the water. It was gut-wrenching despite my knowing that it was but a pale imagining of how truly horrific those last few hours of life must have been for those unfortunate people.
Tonight we attended a sneak preview of the re-release of James Cameron’s massive hit which opens Wednesday night. The film’s release is timed to commemorate the sailing and sinking of the Titanic a century ago. Though we have seen the film several times, there was no question that we would leap at the chance to see it once more on the big screen.
And it was well worth another viewing.
I remember not long after the film’s initial release being so glad that I had seen it before it’s hype got out of control because I found it to be a beautiful film. I felt that it was unfortunate that the theme song got so much airplay, which I believe was instrumental (pardon the pun) in making the public so very sick of hearing about the film. Even if you liked the song at the time (and I did), you eventually got sick of hearing it. I remember hitting a saturation point and didn’t listen to it for decades. One of my favorite artists, Sarah Brightman, did a rendition of it on one of her CD’s and DVD’s and I remember skipping it every single time. I just couldn’t take it. But that did not diminish my fondness for the film. And sitting there watching it unfold again tonight, I realized that it stands the test of time and that it is still a very beautiful film.
Regardless of what one thinks of it, watching the film objectively you have to admit that there is some talented film making going on. Scenes absent of soundtrack music, and often absent of sound,are placed throughout the film and they are powerful moments. Scenes in which the shot is high above and far away from the ship that are devoid of sound are chilling in their ominous foreshadowing of just how helpless and alone they all are. The scene in which Jack (DiCaprio) draws Rose (Winslet) is sensuous not because of the nudity but because of the lighting. Because of the way the camera plays across both actors’ faces, concentrating on the eyes. The scene where the camera zooms in on Winslet’s eye that fades into the older version of Rose (Gloria Stuart) is so well done and so moving.
It can certainly be argued that Titanic is overly sentimental, but I am an overly sentimental guy and so it finds its audience with me. And given the subject matter I don’t mind the sentiment. I remember thinking that Kate Winslet was a bit of an unconventional beauty and that opinion was reaffirmed tonight. And I found myself remembering just why I enjoyed DiCaprio so much. I got tired of him for awhile but more recent roles renewed my interest and it was fun to see some of his early work again.
In the end though the thing that drew me back, and would keep drawing me back if they re-released this every decade, is the awesome nature of the tragedy that befell this marvelous ship and the people who were unlucky enough to be sailing upon her. It is hard to imagine just how scary, how truly terrifying, that entire event must have been. It remains fascinating all these years later.
I generally feel that 3-D effects are unnecessary and that was of course the case with this film. The effects were minimal and I have to believe they were only done to appeal to a crowd who expects 3-D at this time. I didn’t pay them any mind during the film, but looking back on it I am glad that the elements were minimal as they detract from a film that can stand on its own without the gimmicks.
If you never had a chance to see this movie on the big screen I would highly encourage you to do so. And if you are a silly romantic like yours truly, it makes for a great date night film.
I recently watched this film again for my movie challenge. And I didn’t want to because of all the hype and the song. I saw the movie when it first came out and loved it. It was exciting, romantic, and historical. Perfect for me. Then all the hype came. And the song. Don’t get me wrong, she has a beautiful voice, but I didn’t want to hear the song 24/7. It was on all the time. When I watched it again I enjoyed it. I just had to block out my negative thoughts about it.
I don’t think I’ll see it in 3D though. I just don’t like 3D. Avatar was amazing for its 3D, but I don’t think every movie needs to be in 3D. It is getting out of hand.
I didn’t know you were a Sarah Brightman fan. Now she has an amazing voice!
To be quite honest I don’t think you’d even notice this was in 3D. There are only occasional effects and it is kind of like what they did with John Carter in that there is occasionally an item or character(s) in the foreground at the bottom of the screen that will be in 3D and that is it. Which is why I’m not sure why he bothered other than because of the feeling it needed to have a gimmmick to bring audiences back. Which is silly in my opinion. The film stands on its own merits.
Ah, the song. Funnily enough I love the various instrumental versions of the song that play during the film. I wish they had resisted the urge to actually put words to it for the number in the credits.
Yes, Sarah Brightman is amazing. I’ve been a fan for a long time. She is so incredibly talented.
The fate of the Titanic was, is, and always will remain, horrifyingly fascinating. I remember it every year on my birthday, which is April 10.
Wow! that would tend to make it even more unforgettable. Happy early Birthday Charlotte! I hope you have wonderful celebration plans in the works.
The saddest part of the movie to me in 1998 (at age 12, mind you), where I can remember tearing up and being overwhelmed with melancholy, was where the musicians all decided to stay on board and play on through it all. Something impossibly heart breaking in the song.
I’ve not watched the movie in a decade, and I have no plans to see it in 3D, either, but it is undeniably a powerful movie for us sentimental types.
Yes, that was a very sad moment for sure. I also think it is sad on so many levels that there were so many not-full boats nearby that could have went back and tried to rescue people but didn’t. I can’t be judgmental as I know can imagine what fear and panic would do to a person but I hope that I would have been the kind of person who was gallant and brave and selfless. I hope to be that way in my day to day life too, not just in some tragic situation.
Julie and I saw it at the theater years ago. We both really liked it.
I hate the song and get a sick feeling every time I hear it. I’m afraid to go see it again because of that song!
You can always run out of the theater at a sprint as soon as the credits begin to roll. š
I have been trying to decide if I want to see this in 3D. It really is wanting to see it in theatres again, but I haven’t decided. It cost extra for the 3D and according to you there isn’t even that much 3D, so that is a bit silly.
You hit the nail right on the head, Kailana. This isn’t about 3D. It is all about seeing it again on the big screen, or not. This is one of those films that has the kind of scope that makes it a tremendous experience on the big screen. The enormity of the ship, the vastness of the ocean, etc. are showcased to their best on a giant screen. And they obviously remastered it in the process because it was crystal clear and beautiful.
But yes, it does cost more. I look at these re-releases as events though and so it is all about wanting or not wanting that experience. I didn’t mind paying the extra to see it again, or to see Star Trek when they re-released it, or the LOTR films for that matter. What I do mind is simply paying extra for 3D when I don’t care about the 3D. This film would have been the same price irregardless as it is following standard pricing (at least here) for these special event re-releases.
It’s hard to grasp the total scope of a tragedy, but James Cameron found a way to communicate the power and feeling of the sinking of the TITANIC through the characters and the extraordinary special effects.
When the TITANIC starts sinking and people are falling into the swirling water, I was on the edge of my seat. The spectacle of that giant ship sinking with so many people still aboard is mind-boggling every time I see it.
It really is George. I’ve always been fascinated by the ocean. One of the things I thought I wanted to do when I was a kid was being a marine biologist. Not because I liked biology, but because I had this romantic idea of spending my life diving the ocean and making discoveries. And when you try to imagine the depth that this ship sunk, how long it took to sink, and the fact that there were no doubt many people also trapped onboard, it almost takes your breath away.
Cameron did a marvelous job of capturing the tragedy, and I’ve never felt like his film cheapens anything. It doesn’t go for cheap thrills and while it isn’t “preachy”, it doesn’t shy away from pointing a light at our humanity in the way things were handled.
Hmmm. Not sure I want to see all those people sliding down the decks and bouncing off bits of ship in 3D. It was graphic enough in 2D.
Ha! Thankfully none of that was in 3D. I think it would have been horrifying had it been. Ugh!
You may not have wanted the 3-D aspect, but I’ll bet you had to pay for it at the box office! That’s one of the primary reasons so many 3-D films are being made; they can charge an extra $10 or so for the ticket.
I finally saw this a couple years after it came out. I got it on VHS, and was surprised that there were two tapes in the package. I hadn’t known it was so bloody long! It was all I could do to watch the first half the first night, and I was sufficiently unimpressed that I waited several days before watching the second half, which I thought was better. Still I think it’s a film that could benefit from some tough editing down, it seemed (as I remember it) to wander a good deal, mostly in a quest to be a “big” movie. I doubt I’d watch it again, especially at it’s length. I suppose it has an intermission?
Oh I have no doubt that the update was one made for financial reasons, although as I mentioned in my response to Kailana, I think they would be charging the same amount anyway for the tickets. I paid the same amount that I have for other non-3D re-releases (LOTR, Star Trek). Where they really did it for the extra money in my opinion was for DVD sales.
LOL! I used to have it on VHS in the two-tape collection. Finally bought it on DVD years ago when the collectors edition was on sale for something like $5 at Blockbuster.
I’ll have to agree to disagree with you on the length and the editing. I think the only way to tell a tragic love story and also focus on the tragedy of the event was to have enough time to spend with main and secondary characters so that you had some emotional investment in them when the ship went down. An edited version would be too much like a made-for-tv movie.
Nope, no intermission. But for me the time flew by, same as watching the 3+ hour LOTR films when the released the Extended Editions at the theater last year. Oddly enough in our pretty full theater (for a Tuesday night) there was not as much going to the bathroom as I notice happening in much shorter shows.
I saw this movie once when it came out — I enjoyed it, but once was enough. I had a friend who saw it something like 8 times in the theater. I couldn’t believe she could sit for that long, let alone seeing the same thing over and over! I thought the movie was pretty good, although I wouldn’t rank it up with my favorites. However, I will be in the camp that skips the re-release. But I’m all for sentimental favorites!!
I’ve certainly seen a few movies many times in the theater, even ones that ultimately I ended up not having too fond of feelings for (Star Wars Ep 1: Phantom Menace comes to mind). But more often than not I see things once. I did end up seeing John Carter 3 times in one week, LOL! But then again it was a great film that critics just missed big time on.
My friends and I have plans to watch the movie on the anniversary, but I don’t think we’ll be hitting the theater. There are parts of that movie I don’t think I WANT to see in 3D!
I hope you have fun and enjoy it! I almost opted to see it on either the 10th or 14th but the sneak preview actually started a bit earlier, and for a 3+ hour film starting earlier was a big plus.
I’m totally over-sentimental like you too, and really love this film. Won’t be going to see it in 3D though for the simple fact I don’t like 3D, might hold my own showing of it at home instead where I can cry to my heart’s content š
Crying at home is certainly the way to retain that self-respect! š
I think this film is excellent to be honest – but, I’m not going to see it in 3D – which is a shame because I never got to see it on the big screen so I would have enjoyed the opportunity. I just don’t really like 3D and it makes me feel a bit headachy (don’t ask me why). I think the Titanic is just one of those things that people will always be fascinated with (and horrified about). It’s one of those things that you can’t tear your eyes away from.
Also I thought DiCaprio was really good in this.
Lynn š
This has fascinated me since seeing the version with Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck. And then of course, there was ” A Night to Remember” with Honor Blackman. I think we are drawn to the unbelievable. We can’t imagine the horror and at the same time we are uplifted by those who survive. The band that played on knowing they were going to die, the men who had to say good bye to their loved ones. It is reminder to me of good and evil and how everything changes on a dime. I love the Cameron version and have watched it many times despite the song that “lives on forever”.
I can’t remember if I saw “A Night to Remember” or not. I’ve always loved that title. I agree, there is something uplifting about parts of the story as well. There were no doubt heroes as well as “villains” in that tragedy. But more than anything I imagine there were folks just acting “human”, with all their flaws magnified by their fears. Again, I hope the better parts of me rise up in times of trouble rather than the worse parts.
Lynn, It is indeed horrifying and fascinating. Just the fact that it is history and that ships aren’t the same thing today as they were then makes it fascinating, but of course the tragedy just heightens that fascination.
To be honest, the tragedy of this is just overwhelming to me, and I really only can watch it about once every ten years. And as I just saw it a couple years ago (on DVD), it will be a while… A beautiful movie, though, and somehow I still manage to like the theme song!
I can understand that Amanda. If you really think about it, it is a pretty horrifying tragedy. Even more so knowing that it is possible that it could have been avoided if pride hadn’t gotten in the way.
I took my ten year old daughter to see the movie on Thursday. I brought her because Titanic is such a beautifully stunning film, and to watch it on the big screen is awesome. I wasn’t sure how she would react, especially the last part of the film which depicts the tragedy of so many lives lost, so we talked about it first and all was well. She felt sad at the end, knowing that this actually took place, but it gave us a chance to talk about the history of the Titanic (and what it means for the Captain to go down with the ship) and special effects in film-making.