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On Dec. 19, 1997, James Cameron’s “Titanic” first opened in theaters. The film instantly captivated audiences with its stunning visuals and its romantic retelling of the tragic event. Just 72 days later, on Mar. 1, 1998, it became the first film in history to gross over $1 billion internationally.

To celebrate the 25 years of the film, Paramount has rereleased the critically-acclaimed film to theaters in 4K high-dynamic-range 3D. So after a quarter-century, fans are left to decide if “Titanic” holds up to the hype, even after all these years.

Before this re-release, which began last weekend, the total ticket sales for “Titanic,” including its other re-releases, measured $2.194 billion. After making $22.3 million this past weekend, that number has risen to $2.217 billion, which has caused the film to pass “Avatar: The Way of Water.” This recent surge allowed “Titanic” to reclaim its spot as the third-highest grossing film of all time.

It is common for studios to re-release popular films to either commemorate milestone anniversaries or showcase a new version of the film. In 1997, a remastered special edition of “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” was showcased to audiences, grossing a grand total of $138.3 million. Cameron’s “Avatar” reclaimed its title as the highest-grossing film of all time from “Avengers: Endgame” after a 2021 re-release in China grossed $58 million. And a 2022 worldwide re-release of the film ahead of the release of “Avatar: The Way of Water” grossed an additional $76 million for Cameron’s 2009 sci-fi epic.

The 4K HDR 3D format in which “Titanic” is presented transforms what was already a film of great spectacle and scale into an experience that is indisputably immersive.

The upscaled cinematic format brings the action closer to the audience, and even though “Titanic” was not originally shot for 3D, the remaster makes it feel like the film was destined for 3D all along. Aided by incredible picture resolution, “Titanic” has never looked better.

What very much aids this sense of immersion is the film’s cinematography. While many people debate Cameron’s abilities as a writer, there is very little doubt that Cameron knows spectacle — perhaps better so than any other filmmaker, living or deceased.

But this film not only has spectacle to provide its audience. This film also presents in the form of its story a grand tapestry of love, replete with emotion and intrigue. Many love stories in cinema can feel artificial or otherwise stilted, but while the romance in “Titanic” can fairly be characterized as a melodrama, the romance between Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) and Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) is natural and engrossing. The first kiss between Rose and Jack, which is built up carefully and thus results in an exhilaratingly emotional moment, is made even more heart-pounding and even more important on the big screen in such an immersive format.

The dilemmas and troubles the characters face feel real and authentic, and tension between the two lovers and Caledon Hockley (Billy Zane) is built up with incredible care and patience. The characters are well-defined and work off each other in ways that feel in no way awkward or forced. With such well-written tension between the lovers and Hockley already in the film, the added atmosphere of seeing this film on the big screen in 3D makes that tension even more palpable.

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The dialogue flows very naturally, and everything is tied together neatly by excellent lead performances from Winslet and DiCaprio. Of course, with a film as grand in scale as “Titanic,” the romance is also huge. And in this new re-release, with picture quality the highest it’s ever been and an immersive 3D remastering, the romance proves truly heart-stopping.

The score composed by the legendary James Horner, as well as Celine Dion’s legendary song “My Heart Will Go On,” which plays during the credits, fit perfectly into a film as emotionally driven as “Titanic.” Many sweeping epics are aided in their immersive qualities by a soundtrack that fits the tone, setting and size of the film, and Horner’s score and Dion’s song immaculately convey both the great scale of the film and the magnitude of the romance, both of which are made even larger in this re-release.

One particular instance in which the music aids in building the emotion in the scene is the scene in which Rose is lowered down on a lifeboat, but decides to jump back on the ship in refusal of leaving Jack. During this scene, Horner’s song “Unable to Stay, Unwilling to Leave” plays. The delicate tones and soft vocalizations sound while Rose stares at Jack as she is lowered on the lifeboat, but as the tones crescendo into a strong, powerful melody, Rose takes action and jumps back aboard the ship, symbolizing the strength and power of love.
Even if someone does doubt the eye Cameron has for cinema, seeing the 4K HDR 3D presentation of “Titanic” in action will completely erase that doubt. The cinematography aids superbly in maintaining the sense of grand scale that makes “Titanic” such a big film.

The great shots that were already in the film were simply made colossal in this new format. For example, the two shots of the ship, which look small and quiet compared to the great and seemingly infinite expanse of the ocean, have their effects amplified further. The shots during the sinking are also given even more scale and gravitas, almost giving the sense of actually being at the wreck.

The shots inside the ship during the flooding give perhaps the most immersive experience in the entire film. The claustrophobic shots in which the halls of the ship fill with water make the viewer feel like they might actually become submerged, and with the 3D format in play, the added lifelike qualities make these shots even more claustrophobic and even more immersive.

Cameron’s films practically beg to be seen on the big screen, and this re-release of “Titanic” confirms that beyond doubt. This film, especially in this format, is one of the greatest experiences of visual spectacle and immersion in the history of cinema.

“Titanic” is a film that has a reputation that very much precedes it, and it’s easy to see why. It’s one of the biggest films ever made, and the story it tells is so grand and sweeping that it is easy to simply get lost and enjoy the emotional and visually spectacular ride of the 4K experience.

Published on February 15, 2023 at 12:21 am