Wild banana / SUN 4-15-12 / Italian holiday / Small-runway aircraft briefly / Saverin who co-founded Facebook / Rafael to friends / Shalom * hebrew greeting / Palais Garnier star / Some buggy drivers / Silence indicator / Implement with spatula-like blade

Constructor: Kevin G. Der

Relative difficulty: Medium-Challenging

[Click to enlarge]

THEME: TITANIC (56D: [See blurb])— Blurb: "When this puzzle is finished, 12 special squares, along with the circled squares, will create an image of 56-Down. The 12 squares corresponding to the "reflection" of the special squares, when read clockwise from top left, will spell an alternative name for 56-Down." — twelve "special squares" are rebus squares with FE (symbol for "Iron") in them. The "reflection" squares, when read per the instructions, spell out "SHIP OF DREAMS"

Word of the Day: PAPAW (70D: Wild banana) —

n.

1. A deciduous tree (Asimina triloba) of the eastern and southeast United States, having flowers with three sepals, three petals, and numerous stamens and fleshy, edible fruit.
2. The fruit of this tree.
3. See papaya.

[Ultimately from Spanish and obsolete Portuguese papaya, papaya; see papaya.]

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/pawpaw#ixzz1s4Jcx5WB

• • •

AGN? SGS? DAFE?

I will start by saying what is self-evident: this is an architectural marvel. So many layers, so much complexity. A real constructing feat. But I can't say I had a good time solving it. The theme was so demanding that, of course, fill got compromised. Everywhere. Badly. I can't list it all, but ouch. I don't have anything else to say. The puzzle is amazing—and memorable, in a way that most Sundays, esp. recent Sundays, have not been—so I'll take that, I guess. But the fill I had to endure (not once, not twice, but Constantly) was just deflating. I was slumped over this one by the end, enduring it rather than enjoying it.

Doesn't help that I really, really disliked this movie, and its cloying soundtrack.

Theme answers:

• 33A: Iconic line shouted in "56-Down" ("I'M THE KING OF THE WORLD") — this is the point (at WORLD, actually), where I first understood the subject of the puzzle. Before that, I assumed (given the rectangular shape of the grid, and the title) that football was involved.
• 29A: Where 56-Down embarked (SOUTHAMPTON) — this feels familiar. Didn't we already have a TITANIC puzzle this year? Or maybe there was one in another publication? 
• 35A: With 37-Across, #1 song from "56-Down" ("MY HEART / WILL GO ON")

• 125A: "56-Down" co-star (WINSLET)
• 128A: "56-Down" co-star (DICAPRIO)
• 141A: Record-tying achievement for "56-Down" (ELEVEN ACADEMY AWARDS)
• 152A: 56-Down, e.g. (LUXURY LINER)

Bullets:

• 5A: Anjou relatives (BOSCS) — there's an odd-looking plural. This was one of the first answers I got. I started badly/slowly. You can see why. Didn't know the theme, didn't know there were rebus squares, and then even the straightforward stuff was like BALT and ALLOK and EASER (?!). 
• 24A: Peace Nobelist Root (ELIHU) — gimme! Grateful for this one, even though I'd rather never see this odd name again. I always feel oddly guilty when I'm struggling and then get a gimme like this. Feels like the puzzle is patronizing me. "Here ya go, slugger."
• 43A: Italian holiday (FESTA) — I assume this is just the Italian word for "holiday," 'cause I got no idea what FESTA is if it's a proper noun. And crossed with STOL (44D: Small-runway aircraft, briefly)? If I didn't do a lot of crosswords, I'd've been screwed right there. 
• 64A: Rafael, to friends (RAFE) — so ... the first, second, third, and fifth letters, then? OK ...
• 78A: Georgia O'Keeffe Museum site (SANTA FE) — TAOS didn't fit. Then neither did SANTA FE ... picked up the rebus at LIFESPAN and things got a lot easier after that.

• 53D: Saverin who co-founded Facebook (EDUARDO) — I've booted his name before. And I booted it again today. &%(*%ing POUFFE!? Man ... so many hurty answers.
• 54D: Shield bearer, typically (LEFT ARM) — by far my favorite clue / answer in the grid. Frustrating, but then I got it, and it seemed perfect. An oasis in a Great Answer desert.
• 92D: "Shalom ___" (Hebrew greeting) (ALEICHEM) — needed every cross and flat-out guessed at the "I" in AIRE (119A: Yorkshire river). 
• 128D: Palais Garnier star (DIVA) — I assume this Palais Garnier place is a famous opera house. . . yes, in Paris. To me, Garnier is a hair car company with annoying ads. 

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

PS SYNDICATED READERS—I'm supposed to be on the CBS News tonight (Apr. 22) at 6pm (or check local listings) [UPDATE: just got official word—the piece is, in fact, airing tonight] [UPDATE: just got MORE official word that it is not, in fact, airing tonight] [I give up—just know that some Sunday in the near (or distant) future, CBS News will air a story about crosswords, featuring me. Maybe by Christmas?]