On the occasion of the release of “Titanic” on the big screen on Wednesday February 8, director James Cameron returned during a press conference to the success of the film and its still very current themes.
25 years after its release, the cult titanic will be released in French cinemas on February 8, 2023, in remastered 4K HDR and 3D relief HFR versions. Released in 1997 just before Christmas, the film remained in French cinemas until the following autumn. A success that places it at the top of the box office in France and 3rd worldwide, behind Avatar And Avengers: Endgame, with nearly $2.2 billion in revenue. And as if that weren’t enough, titanic is also one of the most awarded films at the Oscars with 11 statuettes (like the Ben Hur from 1959 and The Lord of the Rings) including Best Film and Best Director.
The release of this monument for the month of February is not insignificant. Indeed, it was during the Valentine’s Day weekend that the film had recorded its best score the year of its release. So it made sense for James Cameron to bring it out at that time and celebrate the love with the romantic and tragic story between Rose and Jack. To regain titanic on the big screen also has a special meaning for its director: “seeing a film in theaters is an experience, the emotion builds up in you little by little, it’s overwhelming. It’s a moment you share with loved ones and remember years later.“, he says.
The ingredients of success
During the press conference, James Cameron, alongside his producer John Landau, returned to what had made the success of titanic. “There have been many tragedies since the sinking of the Titanic, but there is something about this story that is mythical. There is the sacrifice of men who gave way to women and children and this deep sense of loss that makes this whole story very powerful.“, he says.
The director considers himself lucky to have been able to create a narrative from this spectacular true story, “the two stories have elevated each other, everyone remembers the drama and the movie now”he thinks. What we also learned from the success of titanic, is that long films could work. “Before Titanic, there was this idea that a long movie couldn’t make money. I think we managed to destroy this myth“, he jokes.
Current topics
But titanic has he aged well? Are the topics covered still relevant? To this question, James Cameron is clear: more than ever. “We are facing global warming, we have been warned for years, we can see it coming, but it’s like the iceberg, we can’t change tack and we’re going to take it in the face. And who will suffer the most? The poor, not the rich, like in Titanic where it is the people in 1st class who mostly survived“, he believes.
Beyond the love story, which remains a timeless and universal subject, Rose’s more personal story resonates with current issues and in particular feminism. “This film speaks to young women because at this point in their lives they are told to sit down, shut up, tuck in their corsets and do what society expects of them.. And Titanic precisely recounts Rose’s accomplishment. And even though Jack was a catalyst for her, we see at the end of the film that she lived a full life and lived up to her full potential.”says James Cameron.