National Film RegistryLibrary of Congress · Inducted 2017
“James Cameron's epic retold the story of the great maritime disaster and made mega-stars of both its leads, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Their upstairs-downstairs romance transported the audience to another world and time via spectacular sweeping scenes in the bow of the ship and beyond.”
Selected for preservation as culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.
Directed by
James Cameron
Studio
Paramount Pictures · British Film Institute · 20th Century Studios · 195 min
Sources: Wikidata · Library of Congress · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Titanic arrived in 1997 from Paramount and 20th Century Fox, directed by James Cameron at a then-unprecedented budget that made the production itself a story before release. It went on to dominate award season and box office records alike, becoming a defining cinematic event of the decade and a touchstone for an entire generation of moviegoers. Its blend of historical spectacle and intimate romance set a template that studios chased for years afterward, and the film remains a fixture of retrospectives and revival screenings.
This 35mm cell preserves Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater, the two figures whose bond anchors the entire narrative, played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in performances that made them icons of the era. A kiss between these two characters marks one of the story's emotional high points, the moment their romance is sealed against the ship's fate. For collectors, this pairing is the most sought-after image from the film, representing the romance at its most concentrated, a physical fragment of the exact instant audiences remember best.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Titanic (1997).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges appear clean with no torn or missing perforations visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along the lower edge beside the picture area, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area stripe; a blue-tinted Dolby Digital data block pattern is also visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the lower edge.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer codes or key numbers.
Base & colour
The base shows a slight blue-violet tint consistent with a modern polyester safety base; the dye image appears warm and well-saturated with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks or significant scratches are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with a release print of Titanic (1997).
Era check
The combination of a dual bilateral variable-area optical track, Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks, blue-tinted polyester base, and warm colour dye image is consistent with a mid-to-late 1990s theatrical release print.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000062584
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
