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FINAL FILM CRITIQUE: TITANIC
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FINAL FILM CRITIQUE: TITANIC Ashawnta Choice
University of Arizona Global Campus ENG 225: Introduction to Film
Professor Stephen Jones
June 21, 2021
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FINAL FILM CRITIQUE: TITANIC Movies are a way for people to entertain, escape from reality, and see things differently. Within the film industry, the film Titanic by James Cameron falls under the epic romance/disaster genre. Released in 1997, the film was a global box office hit because Cameron provided equal importance to the history, fiction, and romance in the film. In the following film critique, the author will analyze the Titanic's historical and theatrical presentation through the lens of auteur and genre theory. Genre theory is a dynamic system that helps us understand something broader about the movies we watch but can change over time. Auteur theory is implying the director as the author of the film, imprinting his or her vision. The analysis of the film Titanic proves that the exciting model of storytelling, i.e., flashbacks, acting, cinematography, editing, sound, style, directing, social impact, and genre, are the key factors behind the film's success as a historical romantic drama. I will also reflect upon how my film analysis skills have developed throughout this class. Lastly, I will explain why Titanic is a must-
see, beautifully yet thrilling historical yet fictional heartthrob. The storytelling technique made use by James Cameron in the film Titanic is special because history and fiction are incorporated within the plot. For example, Cameron made use of the history of the RMS Titanic as the main plot for the film, but he was aware that just using the ship's history would not satisfy the global audience. So, he decided to incorporate a fictional story that portrayed romance into the plot. Parisi (1998) stated that "Cameron's gift was to create a unique movie-going experience, one that the audience could not get from any other film" (202).
One can say that the incorporation of fiction and romance helped the director to be free from only portraying the film from a historical perspective. But at the same time, the historical importance of the plot allows viewers to feel that the events are happening. Within this context,
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the director used the flashback technique to tell the romantic story of the lovers in the movie. Cameron shows this by moving the plot from 1996 to the past 1912 and back to the present. Director James Cameron opens the film off with Brock Lovett, famed treasure hunter, trying to find a rare necklace thought to sunk with the RMS Titanic. Gradually, through an older Rose's flashback, he portrays the love affair between Rose and Jack. In the end, Rose drops the necklace
back into the ocean.
Looking at the auteur theory's technical competence, we can boil that down to whether the film was made well. The visual breakthroughs in Titanic indicate Cameron’s treatment of the RMS Titanic’s sinking as emblematic of his admiration for moviemaking equipment as well as futuristic technology (Piccirillo, 2010). The film was telling the fictional love story of Jack and Rose and the dramatic ending of their love story with the ship's sinking. Not only did Cameron use actual footage from the boarding and docking of the RMS Titanic, but he even went as far as to use footage of the wreckage to show what the Titanic looked like during the time afloat. Using
advanced technology, he used the footage to replicate a grand version of the ship using three-
point lighting. During the sinking of the ship scene, you can see the dramatic use of dark hues of blue to add to the intensity. But all credit for cinematography cannot be given only to Cameron. The term cinematography is explained as still photography but is an integral part of a motion picture. Russell Carpenter's role as the cinematographer is just as important. His attitude towards cinematography, i.e., his tireless effort to be perfect, contributed to the film's success. Carpenter's
co-operation with the art and visual effects departments profoundly influenced his role in the film as a cinematographer. During the production, his and Cameron's initial ideas did not clash with the cinematography. Cameron's knowledge in photography and set construction was helpful
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for Carpenter. Russell Carpenter's craftsmanship as a cinematographer is an essential factor behind the film's cinematic beauty and quality. Editing contributes in making a movie because this is where the decision of which scenes
are used or omitted. Within this context, editing is helpful to overcome most of the problems that
occurred and take out scenes that do not fit the overall atmosphere of the film. For example, when Rose threw the Heart of the Ocean necklace into the ocean, she was not initially alone. But the Cameron considered the presence of other people in the climax scene would hinder the communication between Rose and the viewers. So, he decided to edit that scene and portray her alone. Test screening and test audiences play an important role in editing as well. During editing,
directors value the opinions of their test audiences. Some of the scenes in the Titanic were cut short and taken out. For instance, when the test audience did not like some of the unrealistic fight
scenes in the film between Jack and Lovejoy, the director omitted them out. In another view, close-up shots of Jack and Rose on the deck provided richness and romantic touch to the scenes. The long shots used provided importance to the sinking of the ship. Cameron’s unique personality is evident in many of his films. “The director’s personality can be seen in all his or her works, over the contributions of others involved in making the film” (Goodykoontz, B. et al., 2019). His works typically fall under epic, drama, and romance genres. James Cameron would write and direct his films, giving him a full advantage of ensuring his films fit into his style. This is shown through his strong female characters, sound effects to incite emotions, and perfectionist style. In the film Titanic
, one of the main characters, Rose, is said to be a strong female character. She is portrayed as one of the upper-class passengers expected to act and is being pushed into a marriage she does not want, which she continuously defies.
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Cameron uses this character to show the strength and drive of women, to which many of his audience can view him as a feminist. In the initial stages of production, Cameron was not willing to incorporate any love song theme music. After listening to Celine Dion's "The Heart Will Go On," he changed his mind and used it in the film. Throughout the film, the song can be heard being played in many scenes. The song's tune stays the same, but the style of how it is played varies based on the scene. During the deck scene where Jack and Rose are standing on the rails, the song is played to add to this scene's
romance. It is also sung emotionally by Opera singers then played sadly on the violin during the sinking of the ship scene. This is done to invoke certain emotions from the audience through the film. Chris Boyes's contribution is noteworthy because he was keenly interested in incorporating
natural sound into the soundtrack. The scenes of the Titanic hitting the iceberg and sinking into the ocean prove him as a successful sound designer. Three of the Oscars won by the film were for sound, original sound, and sound effects editing. Thus, proving that sound effects is one of the key elements behind the success of the film. When looking at the context of genre theory, the film Titanic does not belong to a specific genre. It pushes the boundaries of an epic film, making it closely categorized as a drama and romance. The historical portion used proves that the film is interconnected with a historical event. However, the added romance brings it to life—the disaster faced by the passengers aboard
the ship when sinking plays into the epic genre. Epic genre is a large-scale film set in a cinematic
interpretation of the past. "The narrative of romance films usually follows a conventional "boy meets girl" set up, consisting of the main male character meeting a main female character and eventually falling in love. The ending usually happens in two ways. The first one is the main characters falling in love and living happily ever after. The second one is the opposite of the first
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where the lovers do not get back together due to one of them dying" (Conventions of romance genre, 1970). Titanic falls under the epic genre because it is an interpretation of the historical sinking of the ship. This demonstrates the romantic side of the film, using many romantic undertones. For example, Jack and Rose's storyline of falling in love and Cal trying to break them up is one of the main conventions of a romantic drama film. The Titanic’s casting is related to fictional and historical characters. The starring actors that played the two main characters, Jack and Rose, are played by Leonard DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Some of the real travelers on the Titanic are portrayed in the film as well. Thus adding to the film by helping viewers identify with the historical elements of the film. James Cameron's decision to cast DiCaprio as Jack Dawson played a significant role in the film's success seeing that he was already a well-known young actor. DiCaprio's youthfulness suits his character in the film, and Kate Winslet's character as Rose DeWitt Bukater is apt because she could portray the high-class status of the character. Caledon Nathan, played by Billy Zane, is the lead antagonist and plays a considerable role in adding to the romance drama of the film. These characters in the film help the viewers have a panoramic view of the tragedy behind the ship and the inherent love
story. The film's impact on society was high because of its intelligent reconstruction of history and romance. The first challenge was tying the past with the present and doing so accurately. But
the film proved to be successful in doing so. James Cameron's craftmanship impressed the viewers, especially the shipwrecking and sinking scenes. The film winning multiple Oscars and becoming a box office hit in the 1990s proved that the film positively impacted society, and its viewers responded to it well.
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From taking this class, my skills to analyze film has increased profoundly according to previous course standards. By completing English 225: Introduction to Film, I have gained and learned a lot, not saying I am a professional, but now I can use the skill to take a closer look at things. This class has taught me that there is more to something behind the scenes. Through analyzing film, I have found the major of the film is created to provide our society with information, creativity, and inspiration. As we view movies, we should push ourselves to understand what the director is trying to communicate to his audience. Analyzing a film will allow us to comprehend the entire narrative, walk away with knowledge, and better understand the movie. I have taken the opportunity to see all the small details within the film to understand the writer or director's message. This course has allowed me to see how movies translate to our society and provide a direction that the public usually does not recognize. It has also given me insight into how much goes into making a movie, and I now know that it is not an easy task. Knowing the director's style and the genre gives us additional information to help with better understanding the movie when watching it.
The sound techniques and editing help bring the movie to life and make it a good film and give the audience a better insight and feeling from the movie. This course has taught me that society can use movies to relate to and propaganda for a message. Introduction to the film has helped me to develop my analytical skills and attention to detail. Analytical skills will inform companies or future bosses to see different aspects of a situation or job. Attention to detail will help me ensure that all information has been thoroughly assessed.
Titanic
proves that the innovative model of storytelling, i.e., flashbacks, acting, cinematography, editing, sound, style, directing, social impact, and genre, is the key factor behind the film's success as a historical/fictional masterpiece. The generic and auteurs approach
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straightaway highlights the perfectionist directing style, beautiful cinematography, crossing genre conventions that make this film a must-watch. Its positive impact on society further proves
that Titanic is and will continue to be a highly favored historical film with a romantic drama twist.
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References
Barczewski, S. (2006). Titanic: a night remembered. New York, NY: Continuum International Publishing Group.
Goodykoontz, B., Jacobs, C. P., Meetze, J., & Pritts, N. (2019). Film: From watching to seeing (3rd ed.).
https://content.ashford.edu/
Grant, B. K. (2012). Film genre reader IV. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com
James Cameron's 10 highest-grossing films (according to box office mojo). (2019). ScreenRant. https://screenrant.com/james-cameron-highest-grossing-films-box-office-mojo/
.
Miyamoto, K. (2021). Screenwriting wisdom from auteur James Cameron - screencraft. ScreenCraft. https://screencraft.org/2020/01/08/screenwriting-wisdom-from-auteur-james-cameron/
Parisi, P. (1998). Titanic and the making of James Cameron: the inside story of the three-year adventure that rewrote motion picture history. New York, NY: Newmarket Press.
Piccirillo, R. A. (2010). "Raising Titanic: The World of Communication & the Creation of One of the World's Most Succesful Films." Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse, 2(03). Retrieved from http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=200
Unknown, unknown. (1970, January 1). Conventions of the romance genre. https://charlottegraya2media.blogspot.com/2014/09/conventions-of-romance-genre.html
.
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