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When Titanic was released in 1997, I was about to turn 11. Considering everything I've told y'all about my background, none of you should be surprised that I was not allowed to see it. But, like, it was the biggest movie in the history of the world. And the song was freaking everywhere. So it takes up a large space in my mind just based on how much space it was taking up in popular culture.
Anyway, by the time high school came around and I maybe could have seen it, at least at a friend's house or something, I had become an extremely pretentious teenager who took a perverse pride in not liking popular things. (Yes, I was obnoxious.) So I turned up my nose at it.
Around college time, I chilled out a bit and was like, "Yeah, I should watch that movie sometime." But it was like...I'd waited so long that I might as well wait until a time when it would be special. So I always intended to see it with friends or something (inside of just watching it alone as I easily could have), but the time never came.
Last year, my favoritest movie podcast You Are Good (actually, my only movie podcast unless you count You Must Remember This, which I do not) did an episode and I listened to it because I listen to all episodes, regardless of whether or not I've seen the movie. And it sounded from the way they were talking about it that I'd like it and that it holds up. So I was like, "Yes, I must find an opportunity to see this movie."
Last weekend, Meg's friend K informed me that, actually, it was out in theaters right now. So obviously I had to go, even though it's in 3D and I hate 3D
The 3D wasn't that bad, but nor was it necessary. The movie, as everyone else already knows, is very good.
Oh, the halcyon days of the '90s when all kinds of popcorn pictures were released that were big and emotional and entertaining for the whole family! But not stupid! And that still cared about the story! Seriously, what the hell happened to movies? It's depressing. If Titanic was made today, it would be unwatchable.
But thankfully it was made in the '90s instead, and so it's very good, and it does all the things you want a Big Movie to do. It's exciting and emotional and technically very well-made. It's got romance and adventure and tragedy. And it does all of that while still caring about the characters, which is like the thing that movies don't do anymore. Also, it doesn't care of it's sentimental, which I respect the hell out of. (I also do not care if I am sentimental, so I felt that it understood me.)
It was clearly made by a team that was firing on all cylinders and didn't really have any weak links, which is impressive considering how many people must have been required to make it. Like, when a small movie does that, it's impressive enough. But when it's a movie this big and expensive and complicated? It's really quite something. I see why it was the Biggest Deal at the time.
It's weird watching a movie where you know virtually every beat of it even though you've never seen it before. Nothing surprised me about it, but that's okay! It didn't need to!
Wait--one thing did surprise me. I knew there was an opening framing device with the submarines and the old lady, but I had not realized how long it was. It's really long! Seriously, James Cameron, did you have to be that self-indulgent? It really could have been cut down, but he was showing off his fancy gadgets and filmmaking so okay, whatever. It's not that big of a deal.
Thankfully the rest of the film has really good pacing and it never drags, nor does it have any wasted scenes, for all that it's so long. It doesn't feel as long to watch as nearly as many other much shorter films I've seen. I was engaged through the whole thing.
I liked the characters and the casting (Kathy Baaaaaaates! <3<3<3), I even liked the action-y scenes and didn't get bored with them, which I often do in other movies.
I didn't cry as much as I thought I might, surprisingly. I didn't start until the scene with the old couple on their bed that cuts to the mother tucking her kids in and then Jack's BFF hacking away at the ropes of the boats with his knife. I didn't sob like I half expected to, but I did cry on and off throughout (hi baby Ioan Gruffudd! I see you!).
I am kind of annoyed that I didn't see it when I was younger because there's really nothing inappropriate in it beyond Kate Winslet taking her top off and, like, one f-word. It's really ridiculously family-friend other than that. Remember when blockbusters could be enjoyed by people of all ages???
But in one way, it's probably a good thing I didn't see this movie when I was a teenager because it would have given me unrealistic expectations about romance. I cannot convey to you how much I would have been in love with Jack Dawson at 13 (or 18). Also can we talk about how pretty Leo was at that age and how quickly he became not-pretty after that? (And I don't just mean character-wise.) Sooooo pretty. I have always liked pretty boys and I would have eaten my heart out over him. It's fun to see the guy be the Manic Pixie Dream Boy for once. And of course Kate Winslet is the most exquisite but also so down to earth. Lovely!
But if I had seen it as a teenager, I have no doubt I would have been obsessed with it (like almost all the other teenage girls my age) and it would be one of my favorite movies ever. As it is, I enjoyed it very much, I'm very impressed by it, and I would gladly watch it again.
...and I'm requesting any fic recs you have, because I refuse to believe there's no good fic for this movie but I am having trouble finding it. If you sort by kudos on AO3, all you get are AUs of OTHER FANDOMS and Jack/Cal slash and, as usual, I am disgusted by fandom and its priorities. And even when I just search the Jack/Rose tag, I don't find anything that's really good. But I feel like there's got to be, like, one really well-written novel-length canon divergence fic out there that would be very satisfying.
Anyway, by the time high school came around and I maybe could have seen it, at least at a friend's house or something, I had become an extremely pretentious teenager who took a perverse pride in not liking popular things. (Yes, I was obnoxious.) So I turned up my nose at it.
Around college time, I chilled out a bit and was like, "Yeah, I should watch that movie sometime." But it was like...I'd waited so long that I might as well wait until a time when it would be special. So I always intended to see it with friends or something (inside of just watching it alone as I easily could have), but the time never came.
Last year, my favoritest movie podcast You Are Good (actually, my only movie podcast unless you count You Must Remember This, which I do not) did an episode and I listened to it because I listen to all episodes, regardless of whether or not I've seen the movie. And it sounded from the way they were talking about it that I'd like it and that it holds up. So I was like, "Yes, I must find an opportunity to see this movie."
Last weekend, Meg's friend K informed me that, actually, it was out in theaters right now. So obviously I had to go, even though it's in 3D and I hate 3D
The 3D wasn't that bad, but nor was it necessary. The movie, as everyone else already knows, is very good.
Oh, the halcyon days of the '90s when all kinds of popcorn pictures were released that were big and emotional and entertaining for the whole family! But not stupid! And that still cared about the story! Seriously, what the hell happened to movies? It's depressing. If Titanic was made today, it would be unwatchable.
But thankfully it was made in the '90s instead, and so it's very good, and it does all the things you want a Big Movie to do. It's exciting and emotional and technically very well-made. It's got romance and adventure and tragedy. And it does all of that while still caring about the characters, which is like the thing that movies don't do anymore. Also, it doesn't care of it's sentimental, which I respect the hell out of. (I also do not care if I am sentimental, so I felt that it understood me.)
It was clearly made by a team that was firing on all cylinders and didn't really have any weak links, which is impressive considering how many people must have been required to make it. Like, when a small movie does that, it's impressive enough. But when it's a movie this big and expensive and complicated? It's really quite something. I see why it was the Biggest Deal at the time.
It's weird watching a movie where you know virtually every beat of it even though you've never seen it before. Nothing surprised me about it, but that's okay! It didn't need to!
Wait--one thing did surprise me. I knew there was an opening framing device with the submarines and the old lady, but I had not realized how long it was. It's really long! Seriously, James Cameron, did you have to be that self-indulgent? It really could have been cut down, but he was showing off his fancy gadgets and filmmaking so okay, whatever. It's not that big of a deal.
Thankfully the rest of the film has really good pacing and it never drags, nor does it have any wasted scenes, for all that it's so long. It doesn't feel as long to watch as nearly as many other much shorter films I've seen. I was engaged through the whole thing.
I liked the characters and the casting (Kathy Baaaaaaates! <3<3<3), I even liked the action-y scenes and didn't get bored with them, which I often do in other movies.
I didn't cry as much as I thought I might, surprisingly. I didn't start until the scene with the old couple on their bed that cuts to the mother tucking her kids in and then Jack's BFF hacking away at the ropes of the boats with his knife. I didn't sob like I half expected to, but I did cry on and off throughout (hi baby Ioan Gruffudd! I see you!).
I am kind of annoyed that I didn't see it when I was younger because there's really nothing inappropriate in it beyond Kate Winslet taking her top off and, like, one f-word. It's really ridiculously family-friend other than that. Remember when blockbusters could be enjoyed by people of all ages???
But in one way, it's probably a good thing I didn't see this movie when I was a teenager because it would have given me unrealistic expectations about romance. I cannot convey to you how much I would have been in love with Jack Dawson at 13 (or 18). Also can we talk about how pretty Leo was at that age and how quickly he became not-pretty after that? (And I don't just mean character-wise.) Sooooo pretty. I have always liked pretty boys and I would have eaten my heart out over him. It's fun to see the guy be the Manic Pixie Dream Boy for once. And of course Kate Winslet is the most exquisite but also so down to earth. Lovely!
But if I had seen it as a teenager, I have no doubt I would have been obsessed with it (like almost all the other teenage girls my age) and it would be one of my favorite movies ever. As it is, I enjoyed it very much, I'm very impressed by it, and I would gladly watch it again.
...and I'm requesting any fic recs you have, because I refuse to believe there's no good fic for this movie but I am having trouble finding it. If you sort by kudos on AO3, all you get are AUs of OTHER FANDOMS and Jack/Cal slash and, as usual, I am disgusted by fandom and its priorities. And even when I just search the Jack/Rose tag, I don't find anything that's really good. But I feel like there's got to be, like, one really well-written novel-length canon divergence fic out there that would be very satisfying.
