Coinciding with the centenary of the RMS Titanic's maiden voyage, James Cameron's tale of love and human tragedy is back on the big screen where it belongs, and the lavish experience is made even more dazzling thanks to his digital remastering and occasionally stunning use of 3D technology.

Most will be familiar with the ill-fated fictitious romance of Rose (Kate Winslet), a fiery young woman from society's upper crust, and Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio), a care-free spirit who takes each day as it comes. These polar opposites are drawn to one another when they meet aboard, but their fleeting love turns into a fight for survival as an iceberg rips through the hull of the ship, leaving passengers with just a few short hours before it sinks into the Atlantic.

James Cameron certainly draws his characters with clear, thick lines, throwing some of their finer intricacies overboard. He's interested in broad archetypes, which although shallow, frees up space to absorb the spectacle... and what a spectacle TITANIC is.

Spending over 60 weeks on the process, this digital post-conversion is no hack job. Cameron has also restored every single frame of the film and the picture quality is crisp, luminous and pristine.

The film is often maligned for its dialogue, and this re-release can't mask some of the drivel the actors are given, but no matter how cornball, the love story is moving. Even more so are the haunting images of human suffering and hysteria, which inject the film with its underlying gravitas.

From the moment the opening titles fade across a glimmering pool of water, set to James Horner's emotive score, Titanic is unapologetically melodramatic. Some may find this difficult to swallow, but there's no denying that Cameron has crafted one of the most breathtaking and involving cinematic experiences of all time. [EDITED]


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