James Cameron’s 1997 Titanic became a monumental success and is still one of the most romantic films ever. The film not only earned widespread acclaim for its epic love story but also for its groundbreaking visual effects and historical authenticity.
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, Titanic became the highest-grossing film upon its release, earning over $2 billion globally. Thanks to Cameron’s talent and unique approach to filmmaking, the award-winning director creates masterpieces with his magic. Although his influence on the industry is undeniable, the most renowned director actually made Titanic for selfish reasons.
In 1997, the reviews and critics for Titanic were unbelievable. To this date, Titanic is one of the best projects of Cameron’s career, as it earned him top accolades. Based on the tragic tale of the ill-fated RMS Titanic, Cameron once shared that he made the movie because he was fascinated with shipwrecks. In a throwback interview with Playboy magazine, the director admitted that using his talent, he illustrated what he could make of the 1912 shipwreck. Cameron further revealed that his true motivation for making Titanic was to secure funding for an expedition to dive into the deep sea and see the remains of the RMS Titanic firsthand.
James Cameron said, “I made ‘Titanic’ because I wanted to dive into the shipwreck, not because I particularly wanted to make the movie. The Titanic was the Mount Everest of shipwrecks, and as a diver, I wanted to do it right. When I learned some other guys had dived into the Titanic to make an IMAX movie, I said, ‘I’ll make a Hollywood movie to pay for an expedition and do the same thing.’ I loved that first taste, and I wanted more.”
In another interview with Collider, the director shared his experience of making Titanic explaining that the movie is not only fascinating but also continually drew him back because of the many unanswered questions surrounding it. He shared his frustration with the limitations he faced during his expedition, whether it was not having enough time, dives, or technical failures.
He continued, “Before I shot the movie, we had already been out to the wreck the previous year and made 12 dives. There were all kinds of things that were not well explained by the conventional wisdom in the Titanic community. What we put into the movie was actually a composite of what was known, what was accepted, and a lot of new ideas that were kind of radical.”
Nevertheless, James Cameron earned critical acclaim and won three Academy Awards for Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Film Editing in a single year. He also won Golden Globes for the movie.
Titanic is available to stream on Disney+.
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