Titanic

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 TITANIC [1997]

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet

Screenplay & Direction by James Cameron

Language: English

Disclaimer: this is not the first time I've watched Titanic, I just recently re-watched it in the cinema as it was recently re-released. Nobody can call themself a movie critic until they have watched Titanic. It is definitely in the top 5 most iconic Hollywood films of all time. 


Do you sometimes resent watching good movies? I do, because when I watch them I feel as if nothing can ever compare to how good the movie was. That is how I feel about Titanic. 


I have seen Titanic before, but that was at an age where I was too young to comprehend the full meaning or significance behind it. There’s something about watching Titanic in a dark room, no distractions, no stimuli pulling you away. You are faced with no choice but to confront the harsh realities that nobody wants to deal with. Whenever I cry during a movie, it’s for a few brief seconds. This time, I was stuck in a prolonged state of numbness: watching the final moments of the Titanic, of Jack & Rose’s fleeting affair play out in front of my eyes, helpless. Anybody who has watched Titanic would agree: it is next to impossible to describe the roller coaster of emotions that you feel in the final hour of the film. You’re left with this profound emptiness: soul consuming, and heart wrenching are two phrases that most accurately describe it. You’re left in this state of near paralysis, staring at the credits scene rolling by, unable to process the monstrosity of the event but brilliance of the film that has just happened in front of you. Kubler-Ross said that there are five distinct stages of grief, and, trust me, I will be on stage one: grief, for a very, VERY long time. I think I can safely say that this will affect my ability to evaluate the other films I plan on watching over the next few days. Oh well. 


Just watching the film felt so strangely exotic to me: it was odd to see Leonardo DiCaprio being played by a 21 year old version of himself. He was this optimistic character that I absolutely loved! In not one other of his movies have I seen him play such a cheerful character. I don’t like him as he’s aged: he plays all of these surly, annoying roles. If only we could have the young DiCaprio back! But alas, just like Jack in Titanic, he is gone. (I don’t think the ending of Titanic is exactly a spoiler: you’ve had 25+ years to watch it). 


Kate Winslet handled this role like she does all her others: with grace and elegance. Her style and talent has not faded away over the years like her costar’s has. 


It’s difficult to pinpoint what was excellent about the movie. There are times when you are so entranced in watching something that it’s hard to critically analyse it. Everything just worked in this movie, and for that reason, it may be the MOST deserving 10/10 I will ever give to a movie. Let’s see if, by some miracle, something can beat Titanic (doubt it). 

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