A Remake of The Terminator... Called Titanic!
By Edtrader Feb. 20th, 2023
James Cameron has said he walked into Fox with a painting of the famous ship Titanic. Held it up and pointed to it saying, "Romeo And Juliet on the ship". BOOM, Fox is opening up their checkbooks to produce the most expensive movie ever made up until that point. It paid off in the end... four years later.
If you look at his first hit The Terminator, they share so much of the same DNA make up. So, for the sake of cinematic history lets dive into the self-rehashing that James Cameron parlayed into a huge success.
By Edtrader Feb. 20th, 2023
James Cameron has said he walked into Fox with a painting of the famous ship Titanic. Held it up and pointed to it saying, "Romeo And Juliet on the ship". BOOM, Fox is opening up their checkbooks to produce the most expensive movie ever made up until that point. It paid off in the end... four years later.
If you look at his first hit The Terminator, they share so much of the same DNA make up. So, for the sake of cinematic history lets dive into the self-rehashing that James Cameron parlayed into a huge success.
Right Up Front James Shows You The Tragedy.
James Cameron responded to criticism that the Titanic wouldn't do well. As everyone already knew how it would end. His response was... they weren't going to hide from that fact. He was going to put it right up in front. The movie was more about the people, the personal state those people were in at the time of the events, and the lead up to the tragedy.
Near the opening is a wondering eye into the dark resting place of the once mighty ship. Gothically beautiful imagery of the Earth repossessing the materials we took from her. In order to build this great man-made thing. Which doesn't last as long as a moment to a 250-year-old Tortoise. In comparison to the Earth's lifespan. James further made this point when Rose watches the computer animation of the sinking.
The Terminator does the same! The opening of the movie goes straight to the tragedy that is to come. All this waste from the war with the machines. Imagery of the Earth reclaiming what we took for buildings and parking lots.
One Image Is The CenterPoint.
Near the opening is a wondering eye into the dark resting place of the once mighty ship. Gothically beautiful imagery of the Earth repossessing the materials we took from her. In order to build this great man-made thing. Which doesn't last as long as a moment to a 250-year-old Tortoise. In comparison to the Earth's lifespan. James further made this point when Rose watches the computer animation of the sinking.
The Terminator does the same! The opening of the movie goes straight to the tragedy that is to come. All this waste from the war with the machines. Imagery of the Earth reclaiming what we took for buildings and parking lots.
One Image Is The CenterPoint.
Which is ironic as Sarah Conner nor Rose DeWitt have a single picture of Kyle Reese and Jack Dawson. Romeo and Juliet is a tragic love story that everyone rips off. So, you really can't point that out with any useful meaning in regard to this article. However, pertaining to his leads, James Cameron used some specific dynamics for his films.
Both movies used an image of their leading ladies in what's known as a plot device. More specifically known as a McGuffin (physical object). Not only do we get to see Sarah's image being created, but we also get to see Rose's as Jack draws it. Further mirroring is that both images are epically lost in time, then recovered.
The drawing of Rose is lost as the ship plunges to the bottom of the Atlantic. Brock Lovett resurrects it while searching for the diamond called The Heart Of The Ocean. Millions of dollars, years upon years, are spent to resurrect it. Not on purpose but none the less. Luckily for Rose you can't keep a good image down.
The Polaroid of Sarah Conner gets lost in a fire. As Kyle Reese combats an infiltrator. That image gets resurrected as well. We see the photo as it was snapped in Terminator's ending. Since we are dealing in time travel with loops and bridges... You can't keep a good image down!
But the most important thing about these single images...
Sarah and Rose are thinking of their male counterparts during their image's creation.
One Nighters
Both movies used an image of their leading ladies in what's known as a plot device. More specifically known as a McGuffin (physical object). Not only do we get to see Sarah's image being created, but we also get to see Rose's as Jack draws it. Further mirroring is that both images are epically lost in time, then recovered.
The drawing of Rose is lost as the ship plunges to the bottom of the Atlantic. Brock Lovett resurrects it while searching for the diamond called The Heart Of The Ocean. Millions of dollars, years upon years, are spent to resurrect it. Not on purpose but none the less. Luckily for Rose you can't keep a good image down.
The Polaroid of Sarah Conner gets lost in a fire. As Kyle Reese combats an infiltrator. That image gets resurrected as well. We see the photo as it was snapped in Terminator's ending. Since we are dealing in time travel with loops and bridges... You can't keep a good image down!
But the most important thing about these single images...
Sarah and Rose are thinking of their male counterparts during their image's creation.
One Nighters
They both get to make love just one time. Which Sarah Conner sums it up best with 'their few hours together... they loved a lifetimes worth'. Sarah and Rose also have vivid dreams about their lost loves.
Kyle And Jack Are Both Extremely Out Of Their Element
Jack is pulled within this weird world of money, power, prompt, and circumstance. Filled with diamonds, food, cars, fancy dress. The people of this world do not really appreciate nor grasp the gifts of life around them. Jack comes from a world where you sleep on concrete and get one meal a day (if you are lucky).
Kyle was pulled, as well, into a world of food, decent clothes, warm beds, clean water and green grass. The people within this world do not appreciate nor grasp the gifts of life around them. Kyle comes from a world where you sleep on concrete and get one meal a day (if you are lucky). Michael Biehn does a tremendous job in a scene where Reese sees a brook, green grass, and a flower. To him he all this is so beautiful. Something he isn't even supposed to see. Leo Dicaprio has a similar scene where he says that last week he was living on a street. And now he is winning and dinning with royalty on the grandest ship in the world.
The Set Up For A Better Future
Kyle was pulled, as well, into a world of food, decent clothes, warm beds, clean water and green grass. The people within this world do not appreciate nor grasp the gifts of life around them. Kyle comes from a world where you sleep on concrete and get one meal a day (if you are lucky). Michael Biehn does a tremendous job in a scene where Reese sees a brook, green grass, and a flower. To him he all this is so beautiful. Something he isn't even supposed to see. Leo Dicaprio has a similar scene where he says that last week he was living on a street. And now he is winning and dinning with royalty on the grandest ship in the world.
The Set Up For A Better Future
As each movie starts our leading ladies are in a stagnant life cycle. Kyle and Jack come into their lives and led them through these extraordinary events. Kyle and Jack both awaken Sarah and Rose respectively, Wakes them from their dead end, no way out, meaningless lives. And points out that their futures will be much more important. Sarah gives birth to Jesus Christ... er I mean John Conner, the savor of the world. Rose breaks the cycle of tea parties and proper etiquette.
Ultimately, our heroes die in order to protect them. It's tragic and heroic. But the fight is not over. Sarah and Rose both have to find an inner strength that neither one knew they had. Sarah had to finish off the damaged T-800. Then had to raise a son that would save the world. Rose has to learn how to survive without money and means.
There Is A Terminator Chasing Jack And Rose
Ultimately, our heroes die in order to protect them. It's tragic and heroic. But the fight is not over. Sarah and Rose both have to find an inner strength that neither one knew they had. Sarah had to finish off the damaged T-800. Then had to raise a son that would save the world. Rose has to learn how to survive without money and means.
There Is A Terminator Chasing Jack And Rose
And no, Arnold was not in Titanic. However, Titanic does have David Warner. Who plays a former cop, Spicer Lovejoy. A nearly programmed (by money) human robot. Who allows us to have chase scenes reminiscent of the ones that Kyle and Sarah had throughout the Terminator. He is constantly shadowing and stalking Jack and Rose.
The T800 zero-ins on Sarah at a night club. Loud music blasting but just bounces off the T800. Like it isn't even a factor. Folks drinking, smoking, dancing, all unaware of the evil lurking. Lovejoy zero-ins on Rose at the 3rd class party. Loud music just bouncing off like a non-factor. Folks just a dancing and drinking without knowing evil lurks.
The T800 zero-ins on Sarah at a night club. Loud music blasting but just bounces off the T800. Like it isn't even a factor. Folks drinking, smoking, dancing, all unaware of the evil lurking. Lovejoy zero-ins on Rose at the 3rd class party. Loud music just bouncing off like a non-factor. Folks just a dancing and drinking without knowing evil lurks.
In the deleted scenes of Titanic, we have another chase scene where Lovejoy is literally trying to kill Jack And Rose. Which happens after Hotley tells him the Heart Of The Ocean is in the coat pocket that he placed on Rose
We can all agree that James Cameron knows how to make a great movie. As mentioned above the Romeo & Juliet element has been used since the dawn of cinema. James is able morph that into a story which plays for men and women. His casting choices, being the make it or break it, have been spot on. Michael Biehn and Linda Hamilton just clicked. As those characters and for on screen chemistry. That's part of the problem behind recasting Kyle and Sarah in Terminator Genisys. It's just so hard to imagine anyone else playing those on the big screen.
Kyle and Jack even steal coats!
Again, for Titanic, James Cameron was able to flex his casting muscles. Needless to say, he pushed up the 1,000-pound bar again. Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet are the perfect Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt. Michael And Leo, Linda and Kate have comparable looks and characteristics. Many directors of remakes have said that you want certain characters to have resemblances. As you don't want the audience to make that big of an adjustment. James is smart enough to know that Jack and Rose needed to work.
Just For Fun...
Just For Fun...