“Titanic”, a huge worldwide success in theaters, was acclaimed by the vast majority of critics upon its release. However, a few rare journalists did not like James Cameron’s classic at all…
Southampton, April 10, 1912. The largest and most modern liner in the world, renowned for its unsinkability, the “Titanic”, sets sail for its first voyage. Four days later, it hits an iceberg. On board, a poor artist and a wealthy bourgeois woman fall in love.
Does that remind you of something ? Obviously, this pitch is that of Titanic, the classic by James Cameron (who actually doubled DiCaprio on the set!) released in French cinemas at the beginning of 1998. A monstrous success in cinemas with, and it always makes you dizzy, more than 2.2 billion dollars in revenue worldwide and nearly 22 million spectators in France, an absolute record in our region.
The public loved Titanic, that’s for sure. And the vast majority of criticism as well. But, because there is a but in this idyllic landscape, some journalists, sacrilegiously, dared to speak ill of the feature film led by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet!
In France, when we look in the critical rearview mirror, it is difficult to find the slightest detractor of James Cameron’s very ambitious feature film. But across the Atlantic, a few feathers, certainly not numerous but all the same, did not go out of their way to crush the depiction of the famous shipwreck in images.
“A film that rings false and lacks even a minimum of originality”
Thus, on the fringes of an ocean of praise without a real iceberg on the horizon, the San Francisco Examiner tackled violently Titanic by declaring that“no excellent period costume or brilliant decoration can replace a good story and decent acting.” Leo and Kate must have appreciated these proofs of affection.
For his part, the Los Angeles Timeswhich is not the first media to come along, saw squarely in the feature film of James Cameron “a hackneyed and completely derivative copy of old Hollywood romances, a film that rings false and lacks even a modicum of originality.”
Finally, the worst criticism is undoubtedly that of the Salon sitewho sees on the screen “a film made with crass confidence and zero sensitivity. A big, stupid, imposing film.” A bit exaggerated, all the same, no?
Have you noticed the little hidden details of “Titanic”?