Your favorite TITANIC film
 

Different elements comprise different reactions to what makes a movie a favorite of ours. Sometimes its the technical special effects, the script, the drama, or even a performance.

With all the different versions of Titanic out there, is there one version that stands out as your favorite? If so, why?

I had no idea there were so many versions. I've only seen the two most famous: Cameron's, which I loved, and ANTR.

That was a tough call. I have seen three, 1997, ANTR, and the one with Clifton Webb (1953).

1997 had such detail and grand scale, that it was a very close second to ANTR. I went with ANTR because it focused on the facts, which I found more interesting then the fictictional love story.

If Cameron's film was done the exact same way, but was about two actual people on the ship, it would have garnered my vote.

titanic 2: electric boogaloo. (someone had to say it -rolleyes-)

<b>A NIGHT TO REMEMBER</b> because it stayed on focus, and didn't need to <i>search</i> for emotional resposnses to achieve them.

(Incidentally, there's another movie from 1943 with the same title, an excellent comedy-mystery with Loretta Young. Not a ship in sight.)

Titanic '97

Best.Date.Movie.Ever :eyebrow:

Titanic 1997. A Night to Remember is a very good film, even better in some ways (e.g. dialogue). But no matter what any Titanic detractor says, the 1997 film is a great sweeping epic that remains one of the most entertaining films I have ever seen.

I went with James Cameron's Titanic. Unlike some, I always thought it was an excellent, sweeping epic of a film. But why did I pick this Titanic as opposed to the other ones? Well, I haven't seen any other ones really...

Unless I can choose Time Bandits...

97 Titanic for me with A Night to Remember in a close second. The 53 Titanic is in a distant last place. I really hated that one.

Both 97 Titanic and ANTR are both great at getting the facts straight, but the new one totally captured the fear and panic that the passengers were going through as the ship sank. Plus the final stages of the sinking is one of my personal favorite scenes of all time.

I have a soft spot for all Titanic movies. I really prefer A Night To Remember.

I didn't much care for the latest version as I didn't like the manufactured love story. My wife really enjoyed the '97 version though.

Someone voted for "Another Version." Which version was it?

Myself, I never got to see ANTR, but I saw Cameron's 97 version and the 1953 version, and loved both. Technically speaking, 97 obviously has the advantage - you feel yourself sinking (if you were fortunate enough to see it in the theaters); the thing that 97 lacked was the element of redemption. No bad apples turned the other cheek in this film - Cal remained a jerk, and his maleservant never thawed either. Also, Captain Smith was portrayed as though he was Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther movies.

53, of course, had the stamp of redemption: the Clifton Webb, particularily. At the start of the film, you see him buying a ticket from an immigrant passenger in order to get aboard; the immigrant man sells the ticket to Webb, and tells his wife and children he will join them in New York on another ship. Once aboard, Webb seeks out his own family (his wife has attempted to move the two children to America without Webb's consent), and is simultaneously officious and nasty with his estranged wife (Barbara Stanwyck). Fast forward to the sinking - you see Webb a different man. He seeks out the immigrant family in steerage to ensure they get on a lifeboat (redemption #1), and briefly rekindles his romance with his wife with a sentiment so deep it brings a tear to my eye every time.

A Night To Remember (1958)

To make the list a little more complete, there's a German movie called In Night and Ice, made in 1912. I have only saw Cameron's Titanic, so that would be my pick.

The more I see Titanic 97 the more I dislike it, so I have to go with ANTR which was factually based. Cameron's may have been a lot more polished and the visual effects are amazing, but it takes a lot more than vfx to make a movie for me.

A Night To Remember was based on a minute-by-minute account by Walter Lord, and he was even at the filming as a consultant. If this version is "the facts," it is amazing how many errors exist in it:

Factual errors: The film shows the christening of the Titanic. This never actually happened. Harland and Wolff, Titanic's builders, did not christen their ships.


Factual errors: The ship shown being launched is the Queen Elizabeth. Another ship is shown in the last shot of the launch.


Factual errors: Captain Lord of the Californian makes reference to the Californian's passengers being "in no hurry - they wouldn't be with us if they were." Although the Californian was capable of carrying both passengers and cargo, they did not have any passengers on board at the time.


Factual errors: It was the first, not fourth, funnel that broke off and killed several people in the water.


Factual errors: Junior wireless operator Harold Bride is seen attending the service on the Carpathia at the end of the film. He was at this time unconscious in the ship's hospital.


Factual errors: Titanic's water-tight doors were closed after the impact with the iceberg, not in preparation of the impact as depicted in the film.


Factual errors: The watertight door indicator on the bridge was horizontal, not vertical as shown.


Factual errors: Second Officer Lightoller yells at J. Bruce Ismay for trying to lower boat number 5 too quickly. The officer who actually yelled at Ismay is Fifth Officer Harold G. Lowe, not seen in the film.


Factual errors: While the crewmen and Ismay are uncovering and hoisting out the boats, a rocket goes up. It would be about 12:15 or so. The first rocket didn't go up until 12:45, 30 minutes later. (The first boat, No.7, also was lowered at this time)


Factual errors: Thomas Andrews's room, A36, was in the after grand staircase, not in a corridor with the other regular A-Deck cabins.


Factual errors: Lightoller is loading boat 4 when a boy of 13 comes up. Lightoller at first refuses permission to enter the boat. Then a man convinces him. However, boat number 4 was lowered to A-Deck, and the event with the boy happened there. In the movie, it was on the boat deck.


Factual errors: The painting that Andrews is seen admiring in the smoking lounge is entitled "The Entrance to the New World", and shows the entrance to New York Harbor. This painting was actually aboard the Olympic; the painting on the Titanic reportedly was a view of Plymouth Harbor.

A good movie, I'm sure (I didn't get to see it yet, but I eagerly look forward to it), but I guess there isn't any version that has it "all straight." Perhaps 97 has the best accuracy...

Forget the sappy romance - Cameron's movie is the best because of the attention to detail and providing as accurate a version as he could of the events.

Jim Cameron's Titanic.

:up:

I voted for Cameron's version of the film.

Well, I just saw 1929's Atlantic and that is easily the worst. Even worse than watching the 1996 version with that douchebag from Rocky Horror Picture Show aka Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

No love for 'Raise the Titanic' featuring Dirk Pitt, the same character Matt McConaghey played in 'Sahara'?