Spoilers: I will be discussing the endings of all three of these movies.

“JAWS” (1975) – Dir. Steven Spielberg

Going into this, I really expected a film with a theme of “huge shark eats thousands! Carnage and blood everywhere!” So I was happy when it turned out to be a comparatively smaller in scale movie (for most of it, anyway) that focuses on its characters and values their development, while at the same time not shirking from including action. Plus, as I counted, the shark only took out four people.

The English major in me could immediately draw a connection from Quint to Captain Ahab, the obsessed creature hunter who eventually goes down with the ship in the novel “Moby-Dick” (someday I’ll finish it…). And for the ending, the decision to take out Quint and not Cooper I felt was a smart misdirection.

This movie worked just as well as a character study as an action movie—each of the “hunters” felt developed and real. Each one resembles a different way of looking at the problem—Hooper, with his brash and science-based problem-solving, Brody with his even-tempered stoicism, and Quint being the bold, risk-taker.

It reminds me of “Nosferatu” (which I also wrote an article about) in adhering to the adage of “Don’t Show the Monster.” In this case, they delay seeing the shark until the very end, something I learned was done for budget reasons, but it works spectacularly well here.

And like a true 1970s film, I have to give them credit for playing Olivia Newton-John’s “I Honestly Love You” right before that kid gets murdered by the shark.

“The Wizard of Oz” (1939) – Dir. Victor Fleming

Okay, so chances are I had actually seen the film in its entirety before. But I was a kid at the time and do not really remember too much of it. From my experience playing “Apple Tree #2” in a children’s production of the musical adaptation, I knew the whole plot and characters already; Although, even if I had not, I feel like this film is so famous you would know it anyway.

The film itself also has a theatre-esque feel; with the painted backdrops and limited scope of the sets, it reminded me of a stage play. Other than that, I find it hard to say anything that hasn’t already been said about this film: every single performance, every costume, set, and line have already become iconic and referential in pop culture. 

But it is interesting to think about who gets “remembered” in these conversations about film: before I watched this, I realized I did not know who directed it (it was Victor Fleming). And that Fleming also directed another iconic 1939 film, “Gone With the Wind.” One thing that shocked me was just how little screen time actress Billie Burke as Glinda received: she only shows up for 12 minutes. But it goes to show that anything that came on screen in this movie was bound to become well-known. A tiny detail I enjoyed the most was the unicorn that changes colors in the Ozian palace.

“Titanic” (1997) – Dir. James Cameron

It is finally time for me to watch the film responsible for every “could Jack have fit on the door” math problem I had to fill out in high school. It does not surprise me to learn how successful this movie was (it made over $2 billion at the box office): it does a great job balancing the romantic, dramatic and historical aspects of its story. This was another movie where I was familiar with the plot outlines without having watched a second of it—and think of the iconic lines: “draw me like one of your French girls,” “I’m king of the world!” “Jack, I’m flying!” “It’s been 84 years.” 

The dialogue felt a tad stilted to me at times, and the foreshadowing on lines like “I’ll never let go” and “This ship will make headlines!” felt like they were screaming the message of the movie at you. Yes, it is saccharine, dramatic and excessive, but it all works well together to create Cameron’s vision. I also enjoyed that there was a framing story, and it did not just jump right into the romance aspect. And of course, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio are charming and believable in their roles.

In addition, you can really appreciate the apparent amount of research and historical work that went into it. And, of course, the beginning and ending shots of the actual Titanic wreck must have felt revelatory at the time (and kinda still do). It is impressive to see just how far the technology has come in the twenty years since “Jaws” to have such prominent special effects and set pieces available for scenes set on the ocean (taking into account, of course, that “Titanic” had a way bigger budget). Even with those Zoo Tycoon PC Game-level computer graphics dotting the film, you still get swept into the story and its incredibly detailed recreations of the doomed ship.

Watching this after “The Wizard of Oz” made me think that the attendant opening the door for Jack into the first-class party is not unlike the one that opens for Dorothy into Oz. However, my heart can only take so many “My Heart Will Go On” stings trailing the film’s pivotal moments until it hits you in the face in the credits.