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 ambitious productions of its decade, released by Paramount Pictures domestically and 20th Century Fox internationally, with James Cameron directing at a scale few studios had attempted. It went on to dominate awards season and box office records alike, cementing itself as a defining cinematic event of the 1990s. Its blend of historical tragedy and romance gave it a lasting cultural footprint, making memorabilia from the production highly sought after by collectors of studio era film relics.
This cell centers on Jack Dawson and Fabrizio De Rossi, the two steerage passengers whose friendship anchors the early voyage of the film. Jack, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, became an iconic figure in modern cinema, while Fabrizio, played by Danny Nucci, represents loyalty and camaraderie aboard the ship. As a 35mm cell, this piece preserves an actual frame of celluloid used in theatrical release prints, a tangible artifact from the film's original exhibition history.
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 frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges appear clean with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along one edge, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data block pattern visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge, consistent with a dual-format optical release.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base shows a slight blue-grey tint typical of modern polyester stock; the dye image appears warm and well-saturated with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No visible scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are apparent in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, and the period costume and shipboard setting are consistent with the film on record.
Era check
The combination of polyester base, Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks alongside a variable-area optical track, and the colour stock are all 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 000062627
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
