Titanic: 1997

Normally, I wouldn't make this kind of time jump in my blog, but I had the privilege of being a guest on Ryan and Nate's podcast Can We Still Be Friends? to talk about Titanic, and I couldn't pass the opportunity up. In talking with them, I came to some conclusions about a movie that I hated when I first watched it in 1997; I hated it so much that it was the primary reason I made the rule for this project that I could skip any movie I had seen before if I wanted to (Crash being the other movie but for reasons I'll go into whenever I reach 2005). My conclusions don't include a newfound love for the movie...my opinion didn't change all that much upon rewatching and discussing the over three hour epic. But there are a few noteworthy points:

1) This movie is totally meant for teenage girls. Rose is trapped, just like many teenage girls feel even though most of them are not actually trapped. Rose, however, really is trapped by her society, her fiance, her mother, etc. And Rose manages to escape, at first into the arms of the adorable (what others say, not me) Jack and later on her own as she decides to hide out as a lower class passenger on the rescue ship. Her ability to fight her way out and be her own woman is the ultimate rebellion. Of course, everything works out for Rose in the long run, and that's where I see her story being perfect for teenage girls. Sure, there are real life stories where down-on-their-luck people manage to rise above their situations and succeed, but frankly, those are few. It's much easier for a teenage girl looking for a role model to buy into Rose's success than it is for me and I'd venture to say most adults.

2) The computer graphics didn't hold up. The water looks so fake, especially in the scene where Rose tries to commit suicide. I mean, just watch it:

Yeah, that water in the background, clearly a green screen. It's so distracting now that I just can't follow the story. And I love Kate Winslet. She just can't make me believe this is real, though.

3) About Kate Winslet: she is the bright shining light in this movie even if the plot is ridiculous, the graphics are so-so, and the characters are cliches. Just watching her as she convincingly shivers in the icy Atlantic water while she searches for something to free Jack or when she transforms from the miserable socialite into a free woman is impressive. But as impressive as that is, I'd suggest watching a different Winslet film to enjoy her talent.

4) While the CG may be weak, there's some stunning set work in this movie. I didn't really appreciate that the first time I saw it. The fact that they built as much of the ship as they did really paid off in making most of the scenes realistic and made up for the weak plot, kind of.

5) I liked talking about this movie, especially with Ryan and Nate. If you want to know more about Titanic, check out the podcast.

I'm hoping to get back on here on a more regular basis soon. I'm currently catching up on science fiction films to teach one of my classes, but I really want to get to 1979's Kramer vs Kramer. While Jimmy Kimmel may have said that Meryl Streep has phoned it in for all of her films, I'd say that if this one is anything like her performance in Deer Hunter, it's going to be fantastic and so very sad. The trailer for Kramer vs Kramer choked me up.