April 10, 1912. Technology had been delivering a steady stream of miracles for the better part of two decades and people were beginning to take this never-ending spiral of progress for granted. What better demonstration of humanity's mastery over nature than the launch of Titanic, the largest and most luxurious moving object ever built by the hand of man? But four-and-a-half days later, the world had changed. The maiden voyage of the "ship of dreams" ended in a nightmare beyond comprehension and mankind's faith in its own indomitable power was forever destroyed by uniquely human shortcomings: arrogance, complacency and greed.
My goal in making this film was to show not only the dramatic death of this infamous ship, but her brief and glorious life as well. To capture the beauty, exuberance, optimism and hope of Titanic, her passengers and crew and, in the process of baring the dark side of humanity underlying this tragedy, celebrate the limitless potential of the human spirit. For Titanic is not just a cautionary tale - a myth, a parable, a metaphor for the ills of mankind. It is also a story of faith, courage, sacrifice and, above all else, love. ---Writer/director James Cameron, 1997

James Cameron's "Titanic" is an epic, action-packed romance set against the ill-fated maiden voyage of the R.M.S. Titanic, which was the pride and joy of the White Star Line and, at the time, the largest moving object ever built.

The journey begins in the present, at the site of the ship's watery grave, two and one half miles under the ocean surface. An ambitious hunter (Bill Paxton) is determined to plumb the treasures of this once stately ship, only to bring to the surface a story left untold. The tragic ruins melt away to reveal the glittering palace that was Titanic as it prepares to launch on its maiden voyage from England. Amidst the thousands of well-wishers bidding a fond bon voyage, destiny has called two young souls, daring them to nurture a passion that would cahnge their lives forever.

Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) is a 17 year old, upper class American suffocating under the rigid confines and expectations of Edwardian society who falls for a free-spirited young steerage passenger named Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio). Once he opens her eyes to the world that lies outside her gilded cage, Rose and Jack's forbidden love begins a powerful mystery that ultimately echoes across the years into the present. Nothing on earth is going to come between them -- not even something as unimaginable as the sinking of Titanic.

Also adding a piece to the puzzle are Caledon Hockley (Billy Zane), heir to a huge fortune and Rose's fiance, and Ruth DeWitt Bukater (Frances Fisher), Rose's socially driven mother. Oscar winner Kathy Bates is featured as the ship's most colorful real life passenger, Molly Brown. Other historic figures include Captain E.J. Smith (Bernard Hill), White Star Line's managing director J. Bruce Ismay (Johnathon Hyde), and master shipbuilder Thomas Andrews (Victor Garber). Also participating in this are Jack's poor but determined best friend Fabrizio De Rossi (Danny Nucci), and Spicer Lovejoy (David Warner), Cal's ruthlessly loyal valet.