Director: James Cameron
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet
Rank: 83
It's no surprise to see Titanic on AFI's list. Not only is it an outstanding movie about a tragedy that many people have a deep interest in, but it is also a beautiful love story. Titanic changed the face of Hollywood, setting new standards for the way films were made from that point on.
Essentially, the film is two stories that intertwine together, on real and the other fiction. There is the real story of the sinking of Titanic- the tale of living through the event, the passengers who died, and the legends that will live on forever. Just a few years shy from the 100th anniversary (April 14, 1912-April 14, 2012) of the actual sinking, and the story is still just has powerful and saddening as it was back then. It was an event that shook the world, and rattled the confidence that mankind had in itself. Deeming the ship "unsinkable" only to have it flounder on its first voyage was a hard reminder that we are not the most powerful force on earth, and that the beauty of nature should never be underestimated. It was also a wake-up call for a society that based status and worth completely on the amount of money each family had. After Titanic sank, stricter safety regulations were implemented for the sailing world, now making it mandatory to have enough lifeboats for all passengers aboard each vessel.
The other story is that of the fictitious romance. Jack and Rose are basically Romeo and Juliet- they come from two vastly different worlds, not supposed to love each other, and they don't end up together in the end due to death. Most people are suckers for a good "Romeo and Juliet" story, myself included. Many people fantasize about the ultimate love, one in which there is nothing that is capable of tearing the lovers apart from each other. Seeing a tale of ultimate romance on the screen allows the viewer to live vicariously through the characters.
Perhaps one of the most prominent reasons that Titanic is on AFI's list is the affect it had on the film industry. Titanic had an astronomical budget of $200 million, but because of the success of the film it is common for major many films these days to have budgets that reach in the hundreds of millions. It also brought the "blockbuster" status higher- instead of reaching $100 million to be deemed a blockbuster, films now have to hit the $200 million mark* to earn that title. Titanic was also the film that brought Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio up to A-List star status, and it also paved the way for films that were less star-driven. These days, moviegoers are more attracted to the concept and story rather than the headlining names. (Which is great news for those of you who are beginning acting careers out there- Hollywood is always looking for new talent. There are tons of Hollywood movie-makers who are eager to discover the next big star!)
It would be a crime to not mention director James Cameron's current box-office feat, Avatar, in this post. Once again, Cameron has changed the face of movie-making, having put new film technology that he himself developed on the map and making 3-D so much more than a passing novelty. (Of course, this isn't the first time 3-D has been popular, and only time will tell if this time it will become a long-term film feature, like color and sound were back in the day, or just another fleeting trend.) This also marks the end of Cameron's Titanic as reigning champion of highest-grossing film ever, Avatar having passed up the record just this past week. I, for one, am interested to see what James Cameron will bring us in another twelve years. It's no doubt he will once again setting new standards for film making.
*Source: Markovitz, Adam. "Did Titanic change Hollywood?" Entertainment Weekly 22 Jan 2010: 32
Trivia: (source: IMDb.com)
•The studio originally wanted Matthew McConaughey for the role of Jack, but James Cameron insisted on Leonardo DiCaprio. (I can't imagine McConaughey in the role of Jack- he just wouldn't fit the part in my opinion!)
•The scene during the sinking in which water crashes through the glass dome into the Grand Staircase had to be done in one take because the set and all the furnishings would be destroyed in that take.
•Gloria Stuart is the only person who worked on this film who was actually alive when the Titanic actually sank. (She was born July 4, 1910 and will celebrate her 100th birthday this year!)
•James Cameron is currently the director whose films have grossed the most money world-wide, even surpassing the great George Lucas.
Movies to Go: 91
