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 December 1997 from Twentieth Century Fox and Paramount Pictures, directed by James Cameron at a then-unprecedented budget that made studios nervous ahead of release. It went on to dominate box office records worldwide and swept the Academy Awards, cementing its place as one of the defining cinematic events of the decade. Its blend of historical spectacle and romance turned it into a cultural touchstone, referenced and revisited for decades afterward, and made stars of its young leads.
This cell centers on Rose DeWitt Bukater, played by Kate Winslet, in connection with Jack's sketch of her, one of the film's most recognized romantic threads. The sketch itself is a pivotal narrative device, tying together themes of memory, identity, and the passage of time that run through the story. Collectors seek out Rose material for her central role in the film's emotional architecture and for Winslet's breakout performance. A 35mm cell tied to this specific moment offers a tangible artifact from a sequence audiences return to again and again.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Titanic (1997).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame visible on the upper edge; the strip holds three complete frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on the upper edge; lower edge perforations are also present and appear evenly spaced; punching looks clean with no torn or deformed holes visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical soundtrack track is visible running along the lower portion beside the picture area, consistent with a dual bilateral or variable-area mono optical track; a blue stripe is also visible at the lower edge suggesting a Dolby SR or similar coating stripe.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight blue-grey tint typical of modern safety stock; the dye image reads as warm sepia-brown tones with no obvious red shift or significant fading.
Projection history
Light horizontal abrasion lines are visible across the frame area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be from the same continuous shot, and the subject matter is consistent with a dramatic live-action feature matching the film on record.
Era check
The variable-area optical track, blue edge stripe consistent with Dolby SR encoding, and modern polyester-base stock are all consistent with a theatrical release print from the mid-to-late 1990s.
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 000062629
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
