Marxist Overtones in Three Films by James Cameron

Abstract

Abstract When James Cameron's romantic disaster epic Titanic opened nationally in U.S. theaters on December 19, 1997, it was the most expensive film ever made. Like the ship from which the film takes its title, many saw Titanic as a prime example of capitalistic monetary excess–bigger is better. Co-financed by two major Hollywood studios (Paramount and Twentieth Century Fox), running months over schedule and millions over budget (it eventually cost around $200 million) and forced to delay its release by six months, many were predicting that Titanic would be a colossal economic failure (Paris). However, the film ended up making more than $1.1 billion in its initial theatrical release, and it won eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Additional informationNotes on contributorsJames Kendrick JAMES KENDRICK is a doctoral student in film and media studies at Indiana University. His research interests include cinema history, cult and horror films, and popular culture.