Titanic: Film Summary

Summary of the film.
Two or three sentences are fine; you don’t need to include a lot of details. For example, you might summarize the film Titanic by saying, “This film is a classic love story set on the only voyage Titanic ever made. The young woman involved, who is played by Kate Winslet, comes from a high society family. Meanwhile, the young man, played by Leonardo Di Caprio, is poor and traveling in third class. Their relationship is intensified by the fact that the ship is sinking.”

Your opinion of the movie.
What are its strengths and weaknesses? Provide specific examples (scenes, situations) from the film. About Titanic, you might say, “Overall, I really liked this movie. For one, I’m a die-hard romantic, so I really got involved in the story. I loved the way that the photographs at the end showed how Rose went on to do everything she and Jack had talked about together – like riding a horse in California.

Also, I thought the filming was beautiful. I really liked a lot of the shots. For example, I loved the aerial shot at the beginning that panned the whole length of the ship. It really gave you a feeling of how big the ship was! I also really liked the scene with all the china floating in the dining room. As far as weaknesses go, I didn’t like the fact that this movie gives us a distorted view of history. It was a really nice story, but it was obviously fictional.”

Character(s) you identify with.
What character(s) do you most identify with? What are the main personality traits of this (these) characters? About Titanic, you might say, “I really identified with Jack. He’s a free spirit. He doesn’t have any money, but he’s traveled all over the world looking for adventure. Maybe he finds more adventure than he wants on Titanic, but he’s strong and true to his principles.”

Director’s intention/message
In your opinion, what was the director’s intention or message? Of Titanic, you might say, “I think that James Cameron wanted to provide some great blockbuster entertainment while at the same time recreating one of the most famous sea disasters in history. Actually, I’m really glad that Jack died at the end. If he had lived, this story wouldn’t be tragic. It would just be another Hollywood movie.”

How does it relate to the Era in which it was made?
How does the film relate to Canadian or North American culture? Specifically, how does it relate to the era in which it was made? Of Titanic, you might say, “For one, I think this movie shows that American attitudes have changed somewhat. For example, it’s accepted that Rose and Jack are lovers. This definitely wouldn’t have been accepted in 1912. It wouldn’t have been accepted 35 years ago. Also, both characters are very independent. Rose decides to go against her mother’s wishes, but we see this as the right thing to do. It seems to be a dominant American value that young people make their own decisions, even when these decisions go against their parents. Also, it doesn’t matter that she’s high society and he’s not. This seems to re-enforce the American ideal that love can bridge economic distinctions.”

“Thumbs up” or “thumbs down”
Most reviews conclude with an evaluation of the film, usually in the form of a recommendation and based on the strengths and weaknesses discussed. Many movie reviews use a 5 or 10 star system. The film review website, www.rottentomatoes.com, uses tomatoes instead of stars, as well as a percentage scale ~ the higher the percent, the larger number of people who enjoyed the film. For instance, Slum Dog Millionaire received a rating of 94%, while Paul Bart Mall Cop had a rating of 27%. You will create your own rating system to indicate the quality of the reviewed film.

The main purpose of a film review are…
– to inform: provide information about the work or performance
– to persuade: provide compelling opinions about the +ve & -ve aspects of the work or performance, and/or
– to entertain: provide interest using humour, comparisons, or choice of language. Film Review:

Million Dollar Baby

This is a powerful film of heart, hope and family. Hillary Swank plays the role of Maggie Fitzgerald; a woman determined not to give up on her dream, no matter what the cost. Maggie, a poor thirty-one year old waitress from the very lower classes and with a dysfunctional loser family, decides to make a difference in her life through boxing. She convinces the experienced hardened boxing trainer Frankie Dunn to coach her and be her manager, with the support of his old partner Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris, who sees her potential as a boxer. Frankie has a problematical relationship with his daughter, and practically adopts Maggie along her career.