The movie centers around the disastrous first journey of the RMS "Titanic," unfolding as two distinct sections. The initial portion, which isn't quite as strong, introduces a young "Dawson" (Leonardo DiCaprio), who manages to secure a third class ticket to New York aboard the liner. Simultaneously, "Rose" (Kate Winslet), a wealthy but discontented woman, is residing in the luxurious cabins with her detached and insensitive fiancé "Hockley" (Billy Zane) alongside his mother "Ruth" (Frances Fisher), who is unpleasant and driven by personal gain. Feeling desperate, “Rose” contemplates jumping from the ship’s front, but fortunately, the appealing young “Dawson” intervenes and talks her out of it, leading to a friendship that causes considerable upset among her upper-class acquaintances. This connection ultimately results in him creating a rather revealing sketch of her, which proves to be the final provocation for her boyfriend and his enforcer "Lovejoy" (David Warner). Things look precarious for both until – the second part begins. The ship, traveling at speed under the command of Bernard Hill's Captain Smith, strikes an iceberg below the surface, and from that point on, historical events take over. James Cameron provides us with a purely imagined account of what might have transpired as the initially doubtful crew begin to suspect that perhaps it isn’t just Molly Brown (played wonderfully by Kathy Bates) who is unsinkable! What follows is a series of well-arranged sequences depicting panic, fear, a noticeable amount of selfishness, and some commendable displays of stoicism as passengers are evacuated and the separation between passengers and the crew's abilities becomes a matter of life or death. The visual effects have aged noticeably; the smoke from the ship’s funnels blows in an oddly symmetrical pattern, and the later scenes don’t entirely succeed in convincing – but ultimately it is a rather sad love story with a strong connection between the two leading characters, and a solid performance from older "Rose" (Gloria Stewart), who narrates the events 80 years after the tragedy. I still find watching the actual wreckage, which appears periodically throughout the film, to be unsettling; it feels as though I am literally walking through someone's grave. However, this does provide a powerful element around which this lengthy but carefully considered and constructed drama is presented. Some have criticized its factual inaccuracies, and it may indeed take liberties with certain character portrayals – but it’s a drama, and to be enjoyed needs to be appreciated as such. Seeing it on the big screen is essential; it loses quite a bit when viewed on television.

Source on TMDB