Rate the three Titanic films

1958: ANTR is by far the best, relying on history, real people and real events to tell its story. It has excellent, understated actors and beautifully conveys the pathos, horror, bravery and foolhardiness of the people caught in this terrible disaster. It has its shortcomings but is far more powerful in its truthful approach than all the fictional versions out there. The real story of the Titanic is sufficiently emotional that it doesn't need to be juiced up with fake characters and insipid romances.

1953: As history, weak. The basics are there, but the film suffers from some serious isues: stilted dialogue -- the accents and language of the crew are cartoonishly Music-Hall ("Tyke this to th' Captain an' 'op to it!"); a solemn but preposterous finale (the passengers and crew standing nobly on deck singing "Nearer My God to Thee" as the ship is about to go down, which is decidedly not what happened); bizarre effects (what boob was responsible for the underwater shot of the ship being ripped open on its port side even as it's shown passing the berg to starboard?); but worst of all a reprehensible attitude toward steerage passengers, who are depicted as panicked simpletons so terrified to save their own lives that they require the selfless men of the upper class to rescue them. But it succeeds thanks to a superb cast, a believable love story and generally good characterizations of the leads.

1997: By far its best asset is the stunning realization of both the ship and the sinking, historically accurate and astounding in their authenticity, and in graphically bringing home the sheer terror of the disaster. But it's marred by its dreadful teenage romance, awful script replete with 1990s dialogue ("masters of the universe") in the mouths of 1912 characters, a comic-book villain who lacks only a large mustache to twirl, and a central character (Rose) who is all-knowing, all-seeing and all-wise, at least when it comes to things like noting the talent of the "unknown" Picasso (already a well established artist by 1912) and the structural shortcomings of the Titanic. Visually striking and unsurpassed, but dramatically as dumb as a box of rocks.

By the way, has anyone mentioned the 1943 version from Germany, also called Titanic? A fascinating piece of anti-British propaganda, and hilariously warped historically (as you'd expect -- we're dealing with Nazis here, after all), with a noble, honest German First Officer trying to prevent the corrupt White Star Line and Captain Smith from deliberately wrecking the ship in order to recoup their heavy losses. You really have to see this one. Some of its effects scenes were later copped for A Night to Remember!

Obsessed with 14 year olds.

Why has no one here mentioned the latest 4-hour miniseries incarnation from the man who made "Downton Abbey" such a hit? It aired for the first time in the U.S. this month the weekend of the centennial commemoration. How does that rank with 1953, 1958, 1979, 1996 and 1997?

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I recently saw the 1953 version and though I like Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck as well, I would rate that third.

I love the 1997 the best, the effects were great and a lot of movie time evolved around the ship sinking. A Night to Remember was better than 1953 Titanic, as Night to Remember didn't get as melodramatic.