TITANIC |
| ASIDE … The Platypus has been around a while and has enjoying film-going in the various European countries where he has lived. This has encouraged an eclectic taste in movies from Jean-Luc Godard to Tarantino and back again exploring different routes and genres. If possible he particularly likes to savour a film in a physical location or context that has some connection to the plot (where one exists). REVIEW I went to see Titanic in Belfast during my first visit to Northern Ireland. This is the
city where the Titanic was built, she was launched from the Harland and Wolff shipyard
some 86 years ago. The cranes of the shipyard are still clearly visible over the Victorian
slate roofs of rain-soaked Belfast. My landlady’s grandfather worked on the ship,
which impressed me until I found several other people claiming the same. As the movie commences the first thing I notice is the soundtrack of mainly Irish music sensitively arranged and not too overpowering - this gets four stars (out of a possible 5). The plot is somewhat spoilt for me as the ending is pre-known. As one knows what will happen to the ship my interest transfers to the dramatic development of the characters. I am expecting at worst, a fairly tiresome ‘Romeo and Juliet on Deck’ section followed by some spectacular special effects as the ship sinks. In fact the screen play does engage the attention well seems to employ Charles Dicken’s famous adage of springing something new and surprising every 3 pages at most. As the Lizard has pointed out it is driven very convincingly by the interplay of class differences. As for the Stars, I preferred the more complex Kate Winslet to the merely irrepressible Leonardo DeCaprio. Lizard has mentioned that James Cameron has the eye of a painter and I thought of Joseph Wright of Derby for the boiler room scenes. I shall not repeat the descriptions of the very exciting effects in the third part of the film (which the Lizard has already provided) suffice to say that I was similarly enthralled - this is definitely a five star rating. My overall rating is three and a half stars for an important and enjoyable movie of the nineties – but I have to say I preferred L.A. Confidential. FOOTNOTE As I left the cinema I did wonder what might have happened to Belfast if the Titanic had not sunk but had sailed a triumphant maiden voyage and contributed immensely to the industrial reputation of the city where it was constructed Three more men were murdered in Belfast for their religious persuasion within a week of my seeing Titanic. Perhaps if Belfast had gained rather than lost from this event, increased prosperity could have been the magic pacifier it needed. |