Titanic appears in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. Though the Dolby Vision presentation usually looked splendid, a few anomalies impacted my overall impression.
Overall sharpness appeared excellent, with only a handful of exceptions. I got the impression the scan used a little noise reduction, and this occasionally made some shots seem a bit on the “smoothed out” side.
These tended to come mainly during lower light interiors, and the instances didn’t seem egregious, so the vast majority of the film offered tight delineation. Still, these examples created minor distractions on the rare times they occurred.
Jaggies and moiré effects were a non-factor, and no issues with edge haloes arose. Print flaws failed to appear, so the transfer never showed any specks, marks or other distractions.
With a warm, amber palette, colors were strong. Cameron suffused the film with a lovely glow that showed up nicely on this disc, and nighttime “sinking shots” also used a chilly blue well.
The picture consistently offered strong, vibrant and accurate hues. HDR gave these added range and punch.
Black levels appeared deep and firm, while shadow detail looked very good, an especially important factor since more than half of this film takes place at night. HDR brought extra impact to whites and contrast, though I occasionally thought some shots looked a tad too bright.
Ultimately, most of Titanic looked pretty darned terrific, and I probably nitpicked my criticisms. That said, Titanic offers as “A-list” a title as one can imagine.
As such, I thought it deserved an ultra-critical eye. This left my grade as a “B+” since the 4K didn’t deliver the consistently positive experience I expected.
On the other hand, I found nothing about which to complain in regard to the amazing Dolby Atmos soundtrack of Titanic. Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, the audio used all the channels very well and completely involved the listener within this environment.
The sound seemed discrete and well-balanced. It blended together naturally to form a strong three-dimensional soundstage.
Most of the information came from the ship-related elements, of course. As the ship soared across the sea in the movie’s first half and then fell to pieces in the second, all the speakers created a life-like and impressive setting that made it feel like we were onboard the vessel.
From start to finish, this track sounded topnotch. Dialogue seemed clear and natural even though much of it must have been dubbed, and it always appeared easily intelligible.
James Horner's score came across beautifully. The track could deliver it gently or powerfully, depending on the situation.
Effects seemed absolutely realistic at all times and were very clean. The depth of the audio also appeared terrific; this mix really pushed the LFE channel hard, but no problems with boominess occurred. No distortion ever interfered with the audio. Put simply, Titanic sounded terrific.
How did the 4K compare to the 2012 Blu-ray? The Atmos track felt a bit more expansive.
The Dolby Vision image came across as more distinctive and vibrant as well. Though the 4K came with the nitpicks I mentioned, it nonetheless delivered the more satisfying of the two.
Note that Titanic also exists in a 3D format. For viewers with both 4K and 3D accessibility, which worked better?
I’d go 3D, probably. While that version didn’t dazzle me, I liked the expanded sense of depth.
Of course, the 4K represented the film as released in 1997 more accurately, and not just because the 3D conversion didn’t exist until years later. In addition, the 3D BD offered a 1.78:1 ratio instead of the film’s theatrical 2.35:1.
So the 4K delivered the version more true to the way the film worked in 1997. I still felt more invested in the 3D.
On the 4K disc, we locate three separate audio commentaries. The first comes from director James Cameron as he presents a running, screen-specific chat.
Cameron discusses factual elements of the film and liberties taken, shooting underwater and various forms of effects, casting, characters, and working with the actors, the script and story, stunts, locations and sets, and general notes from the shoot.
This was only Cameron’s fourth commentary, but the prior three – for Aliens, T2 and Solaris – were all excellent. His Titanic discussion is also quite good, but it’s not in the same class as its predecessors. To be sure, Cameron gives us a very nice view of the flick’s creation, and we receive a good feel for all the measures used and challenges faced.
That said, I think things remain a little too technical. At times it feels like he mostly wants to impress us with the film’s authenticity, and the nuts and bolts aspects get a bit tedious. However, whatever disappointment I feel is relative.
I admit I expected greatness from this commentary since the other Cameron tracks are so good. While not excellent, this is still a very solid overview of the production and well worth a listen. I’ll probably like it more next time I screen it.
For the second track, we hear from cast and crew. This commentary packs in a large number of participants.
We get remarks from executive producer Rae Sanchini, producer Jon Landau, deep dive technical coordinator Ralph White, second unit director Steve Quale, first assistant director Josh McLaglen, re-recording mixer Gary Rydstrom, art director Martin Laing, camera operator Jimmy Muro, choreographer/etiquette coach Lynne Hockney, costume designer Deborah Scott, visual effects supervisors Robert Skotak and Rob Legato, composer James Horner, music editor Joe Rand, director of photographer Russell Carpenter, production designer Peter Lamont, unit production manager Kevin de la Noy, sound designer/re-recording mixer Christopher Boyes, stunt coordinator Simon Crane, associate editor Roger Barton, and actors Bill Paxton, Lewis Abernathy, Gloria Stuart, Kate Winslet, Frances Fisher, Danny Nucci, Jonathan Hyde, Jason Barry, Billy Zane, Victor Garber, Bernard Hill, Jenette Goldstein, Ioan Gruffudd, Ewan Stewart, Ellen Mower, Judy Prestininzi, and Suzy Amis.
Obviously the size of the roster necessitates edits, as I think only Landau and Sanchini sit together. The track’s producers combine the many elements well, though, and they turn this into a smooth discussion.
And an extremely informative one, too. as the commentary covers a vast number of subjects. We get notes about the expeditions to film the real Titanic, the cast and their performances, all form of effects, sets and their dressing/props, location elements, music and audio, editing and cut sequences, Cameron’s style on the set, and a variety of general anecdotes and notes.
If there’s any stone left unturned, I can’t think of it. Of course, some subjects get more time than others, but all receive good attention. The discussions are lively and fairly frank, though not brutally so.
For instance, we get veiled references to Cameron’s abrasive nature but nothing terribly strong. In any case, this commentary adds a tremendous amount of good information and provides an excellent look at many aspects of the production.
Lastly, we get a track with historians/consultants Don Lynch and Ken Marschall, both of whom sit together for their running, screen-specific discussion. As one might assume, they mostly get into issues related to the facts behind the movie.
They tell us what parts of the movie accurately reflect reality and which take artistic license. They also chat about their experiences during the making of Titanic and give us some notes about the shoot. The best parts appear during the movie’s second half, as they delve into the specifics of the sinking.
Overall, the discussion helps flesh out some historical issues, but it falls short of becoming truly rich and informative. The guys devote a lot of the track to praise for the film, and that gets old. I think this commentary would have been better if it’d come from historians not involved with the production.
Lynch and Marschall don’t have any distance from the film, so I don’t know how objectively they view it. This track offers generally good notes, but it suffers from too much happy talk to provide a strong examination of historical issues.
With that, we head to the supplements disc. To my surprise, this platter does not simply replicate the existing one from the 2012 BD.
Instead, the 2023 extra disc brings new materials. Unfortunately, it also loses some from the prior release.
Fans will zoom toward the collection of 30 deleted scenes. Watched together via the “Play All” option, these last a total of 57 minutes, 28 seconds.
These come with optional commentary from Cameron. In addition, Cameron offers a voiceover when you enter this screen, so he gives us a few notes about what we’ll see.
Some of the clips restore historical details such as issues related to the wireless and warnings. We also get a little more information about the actions of real participants. Many of the elements focus on deleted subplots such as Fabrizio’s romance, and some expository bits between Jack and Rose get the boot.
There’s also a little more in the present day, especially between Brock and Lizzy, for that piece sets up the alternate ending. The single biggest cut comes from the scene in which Cal chases Jack and Rose as the boat sinks, as it gets a lot more attention here as Lovejoy continues the hunt.
This area also includes an alternate ending. The clip differs from the current ending in only one significant way: the manner in which Rose disposes of the necklace. It’s fun to see but was definitely a good omission, as it mars the movie’s emotional arc.
Should any of these scenes have made the final cut? That’s tough to say.
Much of it definitely deserved to be removed, as a lot of it was unnecessary at best and a distraction at worst. The extended chase I mentioned was a particularly good omission.
Some of the smaller moments might have been nice to keep, however, as they add a little life to the smaller roles. I know this is the story of Jack and Rose, but a bit of extra breadth to the secondary parts would have been interesting.
Cameron’s commentary proves useful as always. He offers lots of notes about the scenes and their creation. He also usually tells us why he cut the sequences, but he doesn’t always do so. Despite that flaw, this is another informative chat.
Production features many materials, and under Behind the Scenes Presentation, we find a new feature – well, sort of. This existed as a series of short clips on the Blu-ray – and as a “branching mode” on the 2005 DVD – but here we find a program hosted by producer Jon Landau.
It goes for 34 minutes, 14 seconds. Narrated by Landau, we find info about the construction of the water tank/sets, various effects, costumes, photography, and challenges.
Although Landau dominates, we also get archival notes from Marschall, Cameron, Winslet, Robert Skotak, Scott, Carpenter, Quale, Laing, Crane, Legato, Sanchini, visual effects cameraman Dennis Skotak, model crew chief Gene Rizzardi, digital artist Judith Crow, and visual effects supervisor Richard Hollander.
Additional Behind the Scenes collects 35 short clips and occupies a total of 34 minutes, 54 seconds. Across these, we hear from Cameron, Rizzardi, Laing, Stuart, Winslet, Abernathy, Legato, Lynch, Nucci, Sanchini, Landau, Marschall, Carpenter, Bates, Lamont, Garber, Fisher, Quale, Barry, Scott, Robert Skotak, Dennis Skotak, Crane, Mower, motion control operator Jim Rider, art director Bill Rhea, actor Leonardo DiCaprio, production supervisor Gig Rackauskas, co-producer Sharon Mann, historian George Mehe, and vocalist Celine Dion.
We find out more about the challenges related to the recreation of the ship and all attached concerns. These go into various effects as well as stunts, camerawork, props and sets.
A few other topics like the characters and actors also pop up, and we learn a little more about the history, the story and the costumes. The elements mentioned dominate, though, and they come to life well via all the behind the scenes footage.
We see nice examples of the elements as the snippets demonstrate the subjects. They’re very interesting and informative.
The 2012 BD’s “Behind the Scenes” consisted of 63 clips that ran a total of 1:03:34. Everything in “Additional” exists in the same format on the 2012 release.
I suspect that the Landau-narrated “Presentation” captures all the same footage simply packaged a little differently. I don’t know why the set’s producers decided to change the old framework, but the combo of “Presentation” and “Additional” seem satisfying.
James Cameron narrates the 15-minute, 31-second Deep Dive Presentation. This shows footage from the expeditions to film the Titanic wreck.
Of course, some of this appears in the movie, but we get a nice collection of raw shots here. Cameron talks about how he convinced the suits at Fox to support this shoot and also lets us know what we see in his useful commentary.
Next we get something called the $200,000,001: A Ship’s Odyssey (The Titanic Crew Video). This 17-minute, 54-second clip offers a few bloopers, but it’s not a classic gag reel of that sort.
Instead, the comedic collection shows goofy moments from the set – both intentional and unintentional - and interjects some irreverent moments. It ends with a long look at the folks who worked on the film. It’s surprisingly entertaining.
Two Videomatics last a total of three minutes, 14 seconds including an introduction. These provide a crude form of previsualization in which Cameron combined rough shots of miniatures and storyboards to get a feel for how to shoot the sequences. They provide an interesting look at this element, though I’d have liked to see more of them.
The four Visual Effects clips fill a total of seven minutes, 46 seconds. These allow us to see how various elements were combined to create the shots seen in the final film. They work well as they demonstrate various techniques.
Three programs appear under Documentaries. Reflections on Titanic goes for one hour, three minutes, 46 seconds and offers notes from Cameron, Landau, Winslet, Bates, Lynch, Amis, Paxton, Zane, Marschall, Gruffudd, Garber, Hill, Sanchini, Nucci, Horner, Dion, film critic Joseph McBride, author David Lubin, Titanic forensic analyst Parks Stephenson, Lightstorm VP Production Services and Technology Geoff Burdick, News Corporation President/COO (1997-2009) Peter Chernin, AFI president/CEO Bob Gazzale, AMPAS president (2009-2012) Tom Sherak, and Stereo D president William Sherak.
The show looks at the film’s origins and development, cast, characters and performances, research/realism, sets, production pressures and bad press, editing and the film’s release, the movie’s success, backlash and afterlife, and its 3D re-release.
Expect nearly wall-to-wall fluff from this disappointing program. I hoped it’d give us good memories and stories, and a few of those materialize.
Unfortunately, the majority of the show does little more than tell us how amazing and successful the film was. It’s a painless experience, but it’s not particularly insightful.
Two new-to-2023 pieces follow, and Stories from the Heart spans 35 minutes, 58 seconds. It involves contemporary remarks from Cameron, Landau, and Winslet.
“Heart” looks at the project’s origins and inspirations, the new studio built for the film and the ship set, casting, aspects of the shoot, and the film’s legacy/aftermath.
Some of this repeats from earlier extras, and I remain disappointed the DiCaprio apparently refuses to revisit the subject of the film that made him a superstar. Still, we get enjoyable notes from the three participants, and they even touch on the never-dying controversy related to whether or not Jack would’ve fit on the plank with Rose.
Finally, 25 Years Later lasts 42 minutes, six seconds. It features Cameron as he looks at some of the questions that surround the movie and the history along with info from Lynch, Marschall, National Geographic “Explorer-In-Residence” Dr. Robert Ballard, Naval Systems engineer Parks Stephenson, VFX supervisor Gene Warren Jr., Smart LA Productions/director of photography Christopher Lee Warren, and Professor James Cotter.
This means we see tests to investigate different domains such as aspects of the sinking – with some focus on the aforementioned eternal debate about Jack and Rose on the raft. Some of this feels like Cameron’s attempts to prove naysayers wrong, but we still find an intriguing exploration of the science behind the movie’s fiction.
Archives creates the final domain, and we find the music video for Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On”. I can’t stand Celine, but I must admit I maintain a soft spot for the song, mostly because I associate it with my fondness for the movie.
Unfortunately, it’s a dull video, as it uses the standard lip-synch/movie clip format. Yeah, it puts Celine on a ship setting, but it brings nothing creative to the genre.
Within Trailer Presentation, we get another compilation hosted by Landau. It occupies eight minutes, 16 seconds and shows the evolution of the movie’s marketing. It becomes an intriguing glimpse of this side of the movie’s creation.
If you have hours to spare, head to the Still Galleries, where we find a wealth of material. We get Cameron’s original “scriptment”.
This lets us get a look at an early version of the film, though it’s certainly not a sketchy look; it fills 482 screens with text! I really like that we can check out this piece and see other ideas Cameron had for the film.
Nine Storyboard Sequences go through different scenes. We get “MIR Sequence” (61 stills), “Southampton Departure” (27) “Ode to Titanic” (46), “Pre-Collision Scenes” (51), “Iceberg Collision” (58) “Loading Lifeboats/Panic” (91), “Final Sinking Sequence” (135), “Aftermath and Rescue” (43) and “Final Shot” (20).
That’s quite a collection of drawings, and most are very attractive; these aren’t crude little sketches. This is a great look at the planning that went into the movie.
“Production Artwork” breaks into three smaller areas. We get “Production Painting by Tom Lay” (71 frames), “Costume Design Art by David Le Vey” (68) and “Wreck Sketches by James Cameron” (9).
All are good, but I especially like Lay’s art. The presentation works well, as it starts with a wide shot of the elements and then usually lets us see the pieces in more detail.
When we look at “Photographs”, we again split into subdomains. This area presents “Deep Dive” (45), “Escondido” (17), “Halifax” (29), “Rosarito” (377), “Model Shop” (161), “Russell Carpenter’s Polaroid Trail” (447), and “Core Extras’ Scrapbook” (214).
There’s literally hours of shots to examine here, and much of it’s quite good. We find a nice examination of the different parts of the shoot in this quality collection.
More art shows up in “Ken Marschall’s Painting Gallery”, and we get 82 frames of his work here. As with prior art galleries, these break down the paintings into segments after we see the whole piece. I like that method since it better allows us to view all the detail, and this becomes another terrific set of stills.
The galleries finish with “Concept Posters and One Sheets”. This provides ads for the 1997 and 2012 releases of the film; 66 screens show these images. I especially like the abandoned concepts.
That’s a lot of material, but to my surprise, the 4K package drops a bunch of elements from the 2012 Blu-ray. The 2023 set loses a construction timelapse, some trailers, a few parodies, and a 96-minute documentary called “The Final Word”.
All offered value so their absence disappoints. Objectively, this set probably deserves an “A+” for extras, but it omits so much from the 2012 issue that I felt I needed to “dock points” down to a still-splendid “A”.
Moving, entertaining and often stunning, Titanic remains an exceptional film. Arguably one of the five most popular movies of all time, it holds up after more than a quarter of a century. The 4K UHD boasts largely solid visuals, immersive audio and a wide, informative set of supplements. Even with some minor gripes about the transfer, this nonetheless turned into a satisfying rendition of the film.
To rate this film visit the original review of TITANIC
