In an early scene in Titanic, a character scolds the captain for referring to the length of the ship by mentioning Sigmund Freud's then-new theories about preoccupations with size. Perhaps James Cameron, who wrote as well as directed, edited and produced the film, should have heeded such warnings himself before embarking on what became the most expensive film ever made.

Although everybody knows how the movie must end, Cameron drains the tension by framing the story of the Titanic decades later through the eyes of the film's main character. The story of the ill-fated voyage is seen through the eyes of Rose (Gloria Stuart) who at the age of 100 tells her experiences to Titanic excavator Brock Lovell (Bill Paxton). Her story involves her romance with the impoverished passenger Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio).

The two run the events of normal cinematic romance, and Cameron's script presents the lead actors with some incredible cliches. DiCaprio's Jack is idealized as a poor free spirit who just happens to be a sensitive artist. DiCaprio displays a youthful charm, and occasionally an intensity that recalls some of his past superb work. The script requires the young Rose (Kate Winslet) to be essentially two different characters: a repressed aristocrat and a rebellious teenager. The imaginative Winslet carefully balances these opposing characteristics with complete success.

Unfortunately, each of the other characters represents a segment of society rather than a person, from Winslet's snobbish mother (Frances Fisher) to DiCaprio's earthy Italian friend (Danny Nucci). Only the underutilized Kathy Bates, who provides tremendous fun as the 'Unsinkable' Molly Brown, stands apart from the cardboard cast. No one is worse than Billy Zane as Winslet's insufferable, domineering fiancee. The character is tragically thin, and Zane does less with it than one would think possible.

The romance resonates best during the second half of the film, a prime example of how special effects can service a storyline instead of replacing it. Several bold action sequences develop the romantic storyline better than do the more character-driven scenes. The most exciting of these occurs when DiCaprio is handcuffed in the bowels of the flooding ship and Winslet must save him. For a film that depends so greatly on cliches, this is a surprisingly effective role reversal, for Winslet does not abandon her femininity to make this switch.

As the ship breaks apart and its passengers choose between life and death, Titanic achieves an epic grandeur that the film may not deserve. The division between the rich and poor that dominates the early scenes gives way to a more complex dichotomy between suicide and self-preservation. Over-all, Titanic is a pyrrhic victory for James Cameron. But even if the film does not achieve its grand ambitions, a gem of a movie is still to be found within all of the excess