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I viewed "Titanic" for one reason: Leonardo DiCaprio. Even
with DiCaprio in a starring role, I wasn't crazy about the
idea of sitting through a three hour and fifteen minute history
lesson, which was how I saw it.
Okay, I was wrong. This is the most captivating historical-event
based drama since "Evita" (although while I'm comparing them,
I will say that "Evita" was a little better). While DiCaprio
is definitely something to look at, the plot holds its own
(and your attention), and the scenery and special effects
are commendable.
DiCaprio plays Jack Dawson, a poor boy on the disaster-bound
"Titanic" - but of course, he doesn't know it's disaster-bound,
the ship's supposed to be unsinkable- who lusts after Rose
(Kate Winslet), a rich young woman with an even richer fiance.
As it turns out, she is miserably unhappy, and tries to kill
herself by throwing herself off the great "Titanic", but Jack
stops her, and they fall for each other.
As it turns out, Rose may just drown after all, but not by
another suicide attempt. The very next night, the "Titanic"
hits an iceberg in the midst of a big blowup between Rose,
Jack, and her fiance, who finds out about their affair, and
is furious. In a fit of jealousy, he frames Jack to look like
the thief of a priceless jewel.
And the band plays on. Literally. Even as the ship is sinking,
the band plays sad symphonies on the deck. Meanwhile, people
desperately try to get off the boat, but there aren't enough
lifeboats. This having happened in the thirties, it was "women
and children first" - and of course, first class citizens
first. Rose gives up a spot on a lifeboat to stay with Jack,
whether they survive or not.
I'm not big on romance movies - they all end the same way!
- but this one actually had a not-so-obvious ending, and was
extremely well-acted. Everyone with half a brain cell knows
that the Titanic is going to go down, but you don't know which
characters are going to survive, so it leaves you something
to wonder about. My only problem is that the movie was too
lengthy, but that can be forgiven because it was highly engaging.
I have a feeling that this movie is going to be almost as
big an event as the actual sinking of the ship was! I can
tell my grandchildren, "I was there when the 'Titanic' movie
opened...."
Runtime: 194 minutes
My rating : 4 stars
Rating : PG-13 (disaster-related peril and violence, nudity,
sensuality and brief language)
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