Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet Director: James Cameron Year of original release: 1998 Genre: romantic historical epic
The Plot
After winning a third-class ticket for RMS Titanic's maiden voyage to New York, penniless artist Jack Dawson meets socialite Rose DeWitt Bukater who is travelling first class to America to marry her rich fianc?. Rose has been pushed into the marriage and feels trapped in something she doesn't want to do.
Jack rescues Rose when she attempts to kill herself by jumping into the sea, and the two of them, travelling in very different classes of the ship, plan secret meetings and gradually fall in love.
The Film
Titanic is a fictionalised account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1912. Before its premiere on November 1, 1997, many film buffs predicted that Titanic would be a disappointment at the box office because, at the time of production, it was the most expensive film ever made and would have to perform a miracle to even cover its cost. At one point during filming, as the costs increased, even director Cameron thought he was heading for disaster.
Soon after its release, it became obvious that the producers had a massive hit on their hands as they watched the movie break all box-office records. Titanic quickly became the highest-grossing film in history and remained so for 12 years until Cameron's Avatar overtook it this year.