It’s been 84 years…well more like 22, but the movie Titanic is still a widely recognized and beloved film in pop culture. When Titanic sailed into theatres in Dec. 1997, no one expected it to be a hit. Its success entered the history books though, with fifteen straight weeks as #1 at the box office, ten months in theatres and holding the record as the highest-grossing movie until another James Cameron film Avatar (2009) surpassed it. What makes this film record-breaking and iconic all these years later?
- The real-life story it’s based on
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In the early morning of April 15, 1912, the Titanic tragically sank to the bottom of the ocean on its maiden voyage after hitting an iceberg. Over 1,500 people perished, while only around 705 survived. This made national headlines as the Titanic was marketed as an “unsinkable ship” and many high profile people were on board. The story of the Titanic and its passengers lingered for decades after the sinking.
- The quality visual storytelling
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A major issue with post-production was the difficulty of rendering the special effects in the film. Showcasing the Titanic in its full glory and accurately portraying a sinking — that had only really been visualized in paintings — with ’90s technology was not an easy feat. I think the final product speaks for itself though. All these years later and the effects still hold up and could compete with effects in movies today.
- The beautiful score
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James Cameron initially didn’t want a pop song at the end of his film and Celine Dion didn’t want to sing it. Luckily, they were both won over and “My Heart Will Go On” was born and it has stayed in people’s hearts all these years later. Titanic’s soundtrack became the best-selling soundtrack of all time. Even now if you go to Titanic related museums and monuments, the music playing sounds very similar to James Horner’s incredible score.
- The sinking sequence
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Once the Titanic hits the iceberg and until the final shot of the hull plunging into the icy waters of the Atlantic, it’s a cinematic experience unlike anything else I’ve seen. Cameron and his team worked extremely hard on making the sinking as realistic as possible (from the information of the time). Seeing a beautiful feat of engineering with many human lives on board collapse as the icy waters overtake it is a sequence that even the biggest Titanic haters can’t argue against.
- The iconic scenes
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I could write a whole article on the iconic scenes and lines from this movie because there are just so many! From Jack standing on the bow of the ship calling out “I’m king of the world!” to Rose (SPOILER ALERT) saying goodbye to Jack with “I’ll never let go.” Scenes and lines from this movie are recreated and quoted more than any other film from the ’90s. Those “draw me like one of your French girls” memes truly never get old.
- The love story
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You can’t talk about Titanic without Jack and Rose. Watching a dreamy-eyed Leonardo Dicaprio fall in love with the underappreciated Kate Winslet never gets old. The way they better each other and overcome societal standards while getting steamy in a car is truly iconic. Seeing them fight for their lives on a sinking ship while trying to stay together is just heartbreaking in the best way. Also, Jack could not have fit on that piece of driftwood and survived. Yes, they both could have fit but then they both would have died and that’s the last thing Jack wanted. There is a whole Mythbusters on this so before you come for me, look it up.
Twenty-two years after its release, Titanic still holds up as an iconic and classic film that is still widely beloved and popular. I don’t know about y’all, but right now all I want is to curl up on the couch with my gal pals and watch this masterpiece of the ’90s.