On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, “Titanic”, James Cameron’s romantic masterpiece is coming out in theaters this Wednesday. Check it out in 3D HDR and High Frame Rate (HFR) remastered version.
In January 1998 you discovered, amazed, the sublime and tragic story of Jack & Rose played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, two actors almost unknown at the time.
25 years, 11 Oscars, and 2.19 billion dollars in revenue later, Titanic has become the film of all records and probably no longer holds any secrets for you. Yet James Cameron will once again surprise you.
Probably not busy enough with the making of Avatar: The Way of Water and its sequels, the director of Terminator and Abyss reworked the first Avatar and Titanic with HFR (High Frame Rate) technology in order to offer them a better appearance.
Last August, James Cameron said: ” We will present Avatar and Titanic in 4K with high dynamic range [HDR]. We worked with Pixelworks’ TrueCut Motion platform to remaster the movies at a high frame rate, while retaining the cinematic look of the original.“
Like Avatar, released in our theaters on September 21, 2022, Titanic has therefore been enhanced with a 4K image and exceptional HDR sound. Enough to offer exceptional image and sound quality to spectators.
Twentieth Century Fox France James Cameron & Leonardo DiCaprio on the set of “Titanic”
What is HFR?
The HFR is a technology that allows the projection of a film at 48 frames per second, which is double the current standard in the cinema, 24 frames per second. This technology perfected by Cameron for La Voie de l’eau, improves viewing comfort for the viewer, especially on films projected in 3D.
The filmmaker has invested in TrueCut Motion technology which allows the Frame Rate to be varied according to the scenes. James Cameron thus improved the technique by adopting VFR (Variable Frame Rate) which makes it possible to use 24 frames per second and 48 frames per second within the same film.
Twentieth Century Fox France
Leonardo DiCaprio & Kate Winslet
Because if the HFR allows an incomparable fluidity, it can also pose a problem. The eye of the spectators is accustomed to 24 frames per second, so when a film is projected entirely in 48 frames per second, the public has a sensation nicknamed the “soap opera effect” (TV soap opera effect). The too smooth and fluid aspect of the image gives the impression of being in front of a TV series.
For James Cameron, if we want to accustom the public to this technology, we must first educate them by not using 48 frames per second for the entire film, hence the use of VFR.
The filmmaker who has developed this technique for years has therefore decided to rework his two successes, Titanic and Avatar, in order to give them new life. You will therefore have the impression of rediscovering Titanic.
Twentieth Century Fox France
Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio
With a budget of 200 million dollars (which makes it the most expensive film of the 20th century), Titanic is the first feature film to have exceeded one billion dollars in international box office receipts.
To date, it is the 3rd most seen film in the world in theaters with $2.194 million behind Avengers: Endgame and its $2.799 billion and Avatar which has accumulated 2.923 billion greenbacks. (These figures take into account the results of the theatrical reruns of the various films.)
Note that Avatar: The Waterway has accumulated $2.176 million to date and should therefore soon pass before Titanic.
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Re-released in 3D in April 2012, for its fifteenth anniversary, the love story of Rose and Jack brought in an additional $350 million.
The movie that made Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet international stars won 11 Oscars. It is the most awarded work in history alongside Ben-Hur and The Return of the King.
During the press conference for the release of Titanic, James Cameron explains why we must see his film on the big screen.
“There is no debating what kind of experience one can have watching Titanic on the big screen. Just the size of this ship sailing through the waves on a giant screen, compared to a projection in your sofa , will make you vibrate.
“You will remember who you were 25 years ago”
For those who will see it again in the cinema, there will inevitably be a nostalgic moment. You will remember who you were 25 years ago and under what conditions you discovered Titanic.
In any case, it will be a unique experience. Disconnect from your daily life for more than three and a half hours in order to fully experience this romantic, tragic and historic moment.
Seeing it in 3D reinforces this journey through time and space. I think you feel even more “alive” coming out of a screening of Titanic, that’s what makes the magic of our film. In addition, the film comes out for Valentine’s Day, it’s really the best time to go see or see this great moment in cinema!”