Difference between Titanic and Avatar
Hollywood is best known not for the juicy scandals and saucy stories produced by the interesting personal lives of some of its finest socialites and hottest celebrities, but mainly for its incredible production of some of the best movies ever, and its contribution to American and international cinema. When the heartbreaking and beautiful drama film Titanic came out in 1997, for instance, it was named the highest-grossing film of all time-until the blockbuster sci-fi hit Avatar earned the title in 2009. Let's now take a look at two of the best-known and well-loved films of all time.
The Creation
Both films were produced and written by James Cameron, one of Canada's most sought-after film directors. Cameron was enthralled by disastrous shipwrecks, and in 1995 decided to explore the wreckage of RMS Titanic, which is historically known for being the largest passenger ship in the entire world and for the tragedy it met in 1912. It was made under Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox.
Avatar's conception dated as early as 1994, when Cameron wrote a script of what he envisioned to it to be-however it was not until the mid-2000's that he started working on the language of its characters, deciding on the main cast and setting up its brilliant production design.
The Plot
Titanic revolved around the love story of two fictional characters, Rose (played by Kate Winslet) a first-class passenger who is engaged to a man she does not wish to marry, and Jack (played by Leonardo di Caprio) a third-class passenger who rescues Rose from a suicide attempt.
Avatar was a story of greed and the violence that arises from it. It is set in an alien moon called Pandora, which is inhabited by a humanoid race called Na'vi. Jake (played by Samuel Worthington), a paraplegic on a mission to the said moon, falls in love with Neytiri (played by Zoe Saldana). He pledges allegiance to Neytiri's tribe, disconnects himself with the intrusive human mission, and eventually has his body transformed permanently into the humanoid state.
The Numbers
On its opening day, Titanic earned $8,658,814 on its opening day, while Avatar debuted with over $27 million. Titanic had over $200 million as its budget, and gross revenue of $1,843,201,268. Avatar on the other hand had about $237 million as its budget, with gross revenue of $2,551,060,068. The creation and production of both films were extremely costly, but both films were immediately accepted with much financial success. Furthermore, both films were nominated for a wide array of awards. During its time, Titanic won four Golden Globes. Avatar was hailed for its cinematography, editing, visual effects and production designs by the Phoenix Film Critics society. These are just a few of the awards the films individually garnered.
Similarities and Differences
- Both films are masterpieces by one of Hollywood's finest producers and film directors, James Cameron.
- Both Titanic and Avatar relied heavily on extravagantly planned production design and visual effects, despite having different themes and genres.
- Titanic was hailed as the highest-grossing film of all time until Avatar claimed the title in 2009.
- Avatar did not win the 2010 Oscar for Best Picture because the screen actor's guild purported that the film did not present ‘real' acting and feared that if this sort of film is supported actors would lose their place as the real stars of films as opposed to being paid as mere CGI characters. This is a debate that has just begun. During the Oscars, new 3D televisions were advertised as the wave of the future for TV.
