National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Titanic, released by Paramount Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox in December 1997, became the highest-grossing film of its time and a defining cultural event of the late twentieth century. James Cameron's production combined practical effects, scale model work, and early digital compositing to recreate the ill-fated ocean liner with unprecedented ambition, earning eleven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director.

The Titanic Wreck cell captures a sustained wide shot of the fully illuminated RMS Titanic moving through dark ocean water, photographed from an elevated angle looking down and slightly behind the stern. The sequence unfolds across three continuous frames, concluding with a prominent circular lens flare visible alongside the ship, a distinctive optical artifact from the original 35mm photography.