Which blockbuster film is better?
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Did You Know?
These are two of the most expensive and highest grossing movies of all time. Both films set records at the time of their release for worldwide box office sales. Both films also won 11 Academy Awards, which is tied for the most wins by a single film. While they have completely different storylines and genres, both movies captured the public’s attention and were huge blockbusters.
Titanic
Titanic was a worldwide phenomenon released in 1997. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as passengers on the ill fated ship, who fall in love despite their different social classes. The film uses both historical and fictional elements to tell the story of the sinking of the Titanic.
When it was made, it was the most expensive film ever, with a production cost of $200 million. It was the first film to gross over $1 billion and eventually realized a worldwide total of $2.2 billion, making it the second highest film ever. Titanic was written, directed and produced by James Cameron.
The story portrays the romance of Rose DeWitt Bukater (played by Winslet) and Jack Dawson (played by DiCaprio). Rose is from the upper class while Jack is a poor young artist, who wins a third-class ticket for the Titanic in a poker game. They quickly fall in love and in a famous scene, Jack, overlooking the front of the ship, proclaims “I’m king of the world!”. Soon after, the ship begins to sink after hitting an iceberg. The lovers fall into the freezing water and Jack helps Rose cling to a floating piece of wreckage while Jack succumbs to hypothermia.
The film was nominated for 14 Academy Awards, tying it for the most ever. It won 11 awards, also tied for the most ever, including Best Director and Best Picture. The soundtrack won four Grammys, was the best selling album of 1998 and is the best selling mostly orchestral soundtrack of all time. This film is ranked on several film institute lists, including the #6 epic on AFI’s top 10 list.
When it was made, it was the most expensive film ever, with a production cost of $200 million. It was the first film to gross over $1 billion and eventually realized a worldwide total of $2.2 billion, making it the second highest film ever. Titanic was written, directed and produced by James Cameron.
The story portrays the romance of Rose DeWitt Bukater (played by Winslet) and Jack Dawson (played by DiCaprio). Rose is from the upper class while Jack is a poor young artist, who wins a third-class ticket for the Titanic in a poker game. They quickly fall in love and in a famous scene, Jack, overlooking the front of the ship, proclaims “I’m king of the world!”. Soon after, the ship begins to sink after hitting an iceberg. The lovers fall into the freezing water and Jack helps Rose cling to a floating piece of wreckage while Jack succumbs to hypothermia.
The film was nominated for 14 Academy Awards, tying it for the most ever. It won 11 awards, also tied for the most ever, including Best Director and Best Picture. The soundtrack won four Grammys, was the best selling album of 1998 and is the best selling mostly orchestral soundtrack of all time. This film is ranked on several film institute lists, including the #6 epic on AFI’s top 10 list.
LOTR
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the third installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy based on the fantasy novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. It was released in 2003 and was directed by Peter Jackson, who also directed the previous two films in the series. The movie features a huge ensemble cast including Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving and others.
It was filmed entirely in Jackson’s home country of New Zealand. It continues the quest of hobbits Frodo (played by Woods) and Sam (played by Astin) to return the One Ring to Mordor and their ultimate destination of Mount Doom. Through a series of battles, they ultimately end up at Mount Doom where they encounter their nemesis Gollum. They struggle and Frodo succumbs to the power of the ring and puts it on his finger. Gollum bites off Frodo’s finger to reclaim the ring and through the altercation, Gollum with ring in tow, falls into the lava of the mountain and Mount Doom disintegrates along with the evil Sauron.
The movie is considered a major achievement in filmmaking for its visual effects, acting performances, action sequences and more. It was the highest grossing film of 2003 at $1.1 billion and was the second highest grossing film ever when it was released. It was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won all of them, tying it for the most wins for an individual film.
It was filmed entirely in Jackson’s home country of New Zealand. It continues the quest of hobbits Frodo (played by Woods) and Sam (played by Astin) to return the One Ring to Mordor and their ultimate destination of Mount Doom. Through a series of battles, they ultimately end up at Mount Doom where they encounter their nemesis Gollum. They struggle and Frodo succumbs to the power of the ring and puts it on his finger. Gollum bites off Frodo’s finger to reclaim the ring and through the altercation, Gollum with ring in tow, falls into the lava of the mountain and Mount Doom disintegrates along with the evil Sauron.
The movie is considered a major achievement in filmmaking for its visual effects, acting performances, action sequences and more. It was the highest grossing film of 2003 at $1.1 billion and was the second highest grossing film ever when it was released. It was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won all of them, tying it for the most wins for an individual film.
