Titanic [1998] [DVD]

I'm sure you have already formed your own opinions about Titanic as a film. I personally think it is an excellent and beautiful film, despite its flaws. And if you are looking at this "Definitive Collectors Edition" and considering purchasing it, I assume you would agree with me. Therefore I will go straight onto reviewing the extra features included in this edition of the film.

So, onto the actual product. The first two discs are the theatrical version of the feature. As promised on the box, the film comes with superior sound and picture quality (I'm no expert but I know it plays seamlessly and magnificently on my 42" plasma screen). There are four commentaries on both discs by James Cameron, the cast (not including Leo DiCaprio or Billy Zane), a crew commentary and a historical commentary by a couple of Titanic history buffs. All are worth listening to if you have the time, but James Cameron's commentary is by far the most insightful to the whole filming process of the Titanic, providing many titbits and points of interest. Both discs also include several action "pods". These are short clips that give more detail about how a particular sequence was filmed. You can watch them all together or one by one, or you can choose to watch them integrated with the film itself. The second disc also includes an extended ending, with Brock playing a bigger part. I believe they were right to cut this out of the theatrical edition but it is interesting to see anyway. An obligatory music video of Celine Dion's famous song is there as well.

Disc 3 has quite a few deleted scenes which are extremely interesting to watch for any Titanic fan, as not only is the relationship between Jack and Rose further explored, we also get deeper insights into the other characters. However, I agree with the film-makers about their decisions to cut these scenes as including them would have affected the pace of the film and would have killed the momentum, especially towards the end of the film. The disc also contains three Titanic parodies, none of which are ESPECIALLY funny, but hey, the disc needed a filler.

Disc 4 has many a documentary about the making of Titanic. A few of the TV publicity documentaries are a bit repetitive. I think they all used clips from the same interviews with the cast and James Cameron, which is why you hear the same comments being repeated through the different documentaries. This can be annoying so I wouldn't suggest watching them all at once. Other documentaries include detailed explanations of effects, filming processes etc. Obligatory trailers, TV spots and publicity poster galleries also included. There's also a gallery of images from design through to filming. Overall, I feel this disc is a bit of a let-down in terms of the limited interviews conducted with cast and crew members. I am susprised how little we saw of the actual people involved in the film-making in the documentaries since they are the people most knowledgeable about it. The majority of the documentaries are about the building of the set, the techniques used for filming and camerawork and the construction of visual effects.

So, do I think it's worth you spending your hard-earned cash on? Well, if you're not a die-hard fan of the film, what's the point? You're not going to want to spend hours of your time exploring the extra features anyway. However, for the Titanic enthusiast, this is a great edition. There's plenty of interesting behind-the-scenes info and you can immerse yourself ever deeper into the legacy of the great ship. The commentaries of the film are enlightening and interesting and the deleted scenes also give the film even more depth. The tragedy of the sinking of the Titanic really does hit home. And the thought that you will go away with after having watched and listened to everything on these DVDs is the amount of hard work that went into making this truly unforgettable piece of cinematic history.

Reviewing the film is unnecessary as Titanic has become a love it or loathe it film, although box office results and media sales show that that a lot of people love it. But is it worth the 3d release and purchasing it again in this format. Absolutely yes if you like film. The 3d is crisp and adds depth to the film especially the sheer scale of the ship in particular. Thankfully Cameron has avoided those false eye popping 3d effects and instead added depth subtlety which makes viewing it in 3d seem natural. The picture is crystal clear and colours appear more vibrant than previous release copies in 2d. The Blu-ray doesn't suffer any of the fuzziness that some 3d films suffer or ghosting by poor conversion.

I write this review principally for those who have vowed to never watch Titanic. No fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, I used to be one of those people; then, on the spur of the moment, I felt compelled to buy it and watch it. I am so thankful I responded to that sudden urge because this is truly the most moving motion picture I have ever seen. I immediately fell in love with every single thing about it, even the love story of Jack and Rose. I know this film cost a fortune and took forever to make, but every cent James Cameron spent was worth it. Titanic is incredible. There were really no Jack and Rose onboard the ship on the night it went down, but their story opens our hearts to the real story of that great tragedy, the fact that hundreds and hundreds of very real people from all walks of life suffered and died in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic. When we think of some of the lives that were lost, we too often see them not as people but as myths-the unsinkable Molly Brown, Captain Smith, the scoundrel Ismay, John Jacob Astor, the Guggenheims, the musicians on deck, etc. In this epic, we see the humanity of everyone on board, from the first class passengers to the third class folks below deck to the hard-working men in the pits of the ship who bravely kept the lights on for so long in the face of certain death. This motion picture reinforces the humanity of every soul lost, for that is where the real tragedy lies.

Some people don't like the love story in the film, but I found it magical. DiCaprio, as much as I hate to admit it, is an incredibly talented actor, but it is really Kate Winslet who shines the brightest in my eyes. The complexity of Rose, engaged to wealth and status but yearning for something real that cannot be bought, calls out to the humanity in all of us, and we delight in her forbidden romance with the poor and socially inferior Jack Dawson, ready to take up arms ourselves against her rogue of a fiancé and his dastardly henchman. Some of the purity of this love was lost for me inside the car in the storage room, but no one can deny the power of Rose's love for Jack when she sacrifices her own survival to stay by his side. This is the kind of all-encompassing love we all seek but a rare few of us ever find.

Equally powerful is the extraordinary presentation of the Titanic's final hour. One feels as if he is actually there feeling the shudders as the iceberg rips through the great ship's hull, detecting the list of the decks as the front section begins to settle under water, watching with fascinating unbelief the water as it begins its climb from the lower to upper decks, getting a sense of the complete and utter panic that ensues once Titanic's fate becomes clear to all onboard, and watching numbly from afar as the smokestacks break off, the hull splits, and the fractured ship dives beneath the waves en route to its eternal resting place. The surreal aspect of it all, with the music playing in the background while brave men say a final goodbye to their wives and children in the lifeboats and less fortunate men, women, and children stop to embrace death in whatever way they can, is truly magical and tugs at the heart-strings of anyone professing to be human.

The incredible music accompanying this film is also intensely moving, whether it is reinforcing the passion of true love newly found or lamenting the tragedy of souls lost. If the love story and tragedy do not bring tears to your eyes, the extraordinary music will. I wonder how many men in particular sat through all of the closing credits in the theatre hoping their tears would dry before the lights came back on. The ending is to my eyes absolutely perfect and truly beautiful. This movie affects me greatly no matter how many times I have already watched it. I hope that some of those individuals vowing never to watch Titanic will reconsider their decision; I feel sure that many unbelievers would find themselves as captivated and completely in love with this motion picture as I am upon experiencing it.