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 (1997) arrived as one of the most expensive productions Hollywood had mounted to that point, a Paramount and Twentieth Century Fox co-production directed by James Cameron. Its release became a cultural event, dominating box offices for months and sweeping the Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film's blend of historical spectacle and intimate romance reshaped expectations for what a studio epic could achieve, and it remains a touchstone of late-1990s cinema, endlessly revisited by audiences and collectors alike.
This cell centers on Jack Dawson, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, alongside Fabrizio De Rossi, played by Danny Nucci. Jack stands as the film's romantic lead, a steerage passenger whose journey drives much of the story's emotional core, while Fabrizio serves as his loyal friend, grounding Jack's arc in camaraderie before the ship's fate unfolds. Pairing these two names suggests a moment of friendship and shared circumstance, a quieter beat before the narrative's larger events take hold. For collectors, this pairing captures an early, human dimension of the film often overshadowed by its more famous romantic and disaster imagery.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Titanic (1997).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three complete frames and portions of two additional frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge; spacing appears even throughout the strip; perforation edges appear cleanly punched with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along the bottom edge, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area pattern; a Dolby Digital pixel block array is visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the bottom edge.
Edge print
Not clearly legible in this capture; text appears present along the top edge but cannot be reliably quoted.
Base & colour
Base shows a slight blue-violet tint consistent with a dye-incorporated colour print stock; dye image appears warm and well-saturated with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No visible splices, cue marks, or heavy scratching are apparent; the image area appears consistent with a projected print.
Picture
Positive colour image; frames run consecutively as a single continuous shot; subject matter and period costuming are consistent with the film on record.
Era check
The combination of 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 theatrical release print from the mid-to-late 1990s, matching the 1997 release of the film on record.
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 000062623
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
