James Cameron is never one
James Cameron is
never one to sit on his hands when it comes to pioneering a new facet of
cinema. Deemed the King of 3D, this is not a man who could sit idle whilst Pixar and Lucasfilm Ltd took their 2D creations and pushed them, sometimes
unnecessarily, into the 3D spectrum. Simultaneously released to mark the 100th
anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic,
which settled into its watery bed in the early hours of February 15th
1912, the £200 million budget film has been re-mastered under the supervision
of Cameron and co-producer Jon Landau
for the 3D generation and to have another chance to see one of the hugest films
of all time back on the big screen.
It was Cameron’s fascination with shipwrecks that led him to
write, direct, co-produce and co-edit Titanic, with the hope that the funds
generated from the release would help him on an expedition into the depths of
deep blue. This March, he finally took the plunge, submerging to the Mariana
Trench, the deepest point in the ocean (seven miles below surface) and filming
the experience so that it can be shown in, shockingly, three dimensions. This
and the concept of a gigantic vehicle acting as a catalyst for a large array of
human emotions drove the director to dedicate himself to the project for seven
years, filming the wreckage and building the screenplay from there.
The results were nothing short of spectacular, takings of
$1.8 billion, the first film to reach the billion dollar mark and joining only
two other films in receiving 11 Academy Awards (Ben Hur, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.) It also gained a
massive fanbase, propelling Kate Winslet and Leonardo
DiCaprio, its two then relatively unknown leading actors, straight
to the top of the A list, where they have happily stayed since.
The story of course has stood as a timeless narrative,
following two star-struck lovers of clashing social statuses through their
initial flirtation up until the point where they say their final words through
chattering teeth. Combined with the then mind-blowing special effects, there
wasn’t a demographic Titanic wasn’t able to touch. Of course, this still isn’t
a perfect film; Cameron seems so busy taking on everything else he forgets to
throw a decent script together and there are some moth-eaten holes in the plot.
Sitting in the cinema with glasses on this time, there is no
immediate impression made by the rerelease being in 3D. The ship has been
touched up a bit to avoid looking dated and a few shots, namely Winslet’s monstrous purple hat, do seem
more distinctive. But considering the film wasn’t made at a time where this was
a mainstream concept there just is no call for it. It lacks the gimmick of a
film built for the “coming right at you” factor and the effects aren’t those
that thrive in 3D as did, for example the new TinTin movie. It’s a film that people would turn up in their masses
to see without the promise of a fresh 3D face; the nostalgia of seeing Titanic
when it was first released and the timelessness of the setting and characters
striking more of a chord than the cutting edge of technology ever will.
Also unless you plan on quilting your glasses expect some
unflattering indents for the hours that follow.