Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) could survive the crash titanic. But it would jeopardize Rose (Kate Winslet), which prevented her from trying to take shelter from the cold ocean waters. This conclusion was reached by James Cameron and a group of scientists in a special. Titanic: 25 years later, from Disney+. The director decided once and for all to answer scientifically one of the main questions of modern pop culture.
For twenty-five years, fans of dramatic history titanicthey wondered aloud why the character Jack he died the way he did. Much more when the table to which Rose he sat down, seemed to have enough room for both of them.
Since then, this dilemma has turned into a question of survival discussed on Internet forums. Even the head of the famous series Mythbusters researched the case. They dedicated the episode to examining the chances of survival, and the reaction was strong. Jack could get along with Rose and avoid freezing North Atlantic. But in National Geographic products, the question answered in more detailwith the help of a panel of experts who have explored various possibilities to come up with the most accurate answer.
Tragedy with one victim
Since the premiere titanic in 1997 the scene where Jack sacrifices his life for her Rose, touched the public. Particularly because James Cameron has made it clear that this is an inevitable event. In fact, he has insisted on this more than once over the past few decades. For the director his maritime epic necessarily had a tragic end. However, he decided to test his solution in Titanic: 25 years later with careful experimentation in which he imitated step by step what might have happened.
The special issue, headed by the director himself, begins with a statement of the main hypothesis: how to survive in the conditions of the night of April 15, 1912? The answer involves an analysis of the temperature and weather around the fatal tragedy. The documentary, which uses a real database, shows that the temperature reached at least ten degrees below zero at dawn. Just at that moment, when a good part of the passengers who managed to avoid drowning, floated on the surface, waiting for rescue.
James Cameron has professionals who delve into this topic. On the one hand, with a doctor Robert Ballardpart of the team that discovered the remains of the Titanic in 1985. And on the other – with a ship systems engineer parks stevenson. The duo and the director discuss more than the famous argument about Jack and whether there is enough room for him in the wooden door that Rose is floating through. It is immediately clear that it is not only about the space in the facility, but also about a number of variables that passengers who were exposed to extreme conditions had to face. The first hypothesis that is being clarified is that things are not as simple as one might think.
Many questions and several answers about the fateful night
Titanic: 25 years later, is a great way to jump into the popular discussion about pop culture because of the seriousness with which he takes it. James Cameron built the script identical to the original, so there was no doubt that the experiment would settle the dispute once and for all.
They then chose stuntmen about the same height and weight as Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Room? A test by establishing that survival depends on the alternatives associated with the event that may be the most beneficial – or not – for saving a life.
As if that weren’t enough, the production shows the director’s meticulous sense of minute details. The actors were dressed very similar to the characters’ clothes and repeated dialogue from the feature film. They were also immersed in icy water, but which, logically, did not reach the actual freezing point. The team then tested the likelihood of survival in four different scenarios.
Die or live
In the first case, he checks – or refutes – whether the lovers had a place on the same table. Like any self-respecting production with the participation of James Cameron, the special needs time to analyze the situation. From adjusting the weight of the tree to how the movements of the characters will affect the stability of the board. The first response comes almost ten minutes into the journey between data and scientific data: there was a place for jack and rose.
But there is also a downside. The combined weight of both will cause them to sink. James Cameron remembers why titanic this is one of his favorite tapes. The level of his knowledge of everything that surrounds the ill-fated ship is impressive. Dedicate the first section of the program to explaining the types of materials used in the original ship. In particular, its buoyancy. That allows you to deduce something specific. Even if they tried to use the door at the same time, the result would cost them their lives.
For the second test, the actors lie on the wooden sheet again, but only with half of their body up. This way they can swim and keep most of their vital organs out of the icy water. But to add to the possibility, according to James Cameron, the couple was exhausted. Much more: at the limit of their strength after a major tragedy that forced them to run, climb and swim in quick succession. So, according to the director, one of them would have died of exhaustion. From her words, probably Rose, who wore more frilly clothes – and therefore heavy – plus she had to go a second time on the ship, looking for Jack.
A young lover who could live
So there is a third scenario in which the actors have to be as emaciated as the tragic couple in the work of fiction. The director has them perform all sorts of extreme exercises to mimic the physical conditions that the characters supposedly suffered from. Which made him clarify something else. Fatigue would prevent them from remaining in the correct position—with their torsos above the water—for the required amount of time before being rescued.
Finally, there is a fourth option. Have Rose share the life jacket with Jack while she continues to play the board. The National Geographic special then delves into the mythology of the feature film. The experiment shows that perhaps the clothes would have allowed the young man to endure the cold for several more hours. At least until the arrival of naval assistance. Thus, the answer to the main question turns out to be somewhat more complicated than one might think.
Jack would survive, but put Rose at risk of frostbite, who was still out of the water and exposed to the cold of the open sea. That’s when James Cameron makes it clear that his decision is much more reasoned than scientific. As he explains, his nature would never endanger his beloved, so he would not accept a lifeline.
He would not have climbed onto the board to save himself. so in the end Titanic: 25 years later this proves more than just an old theory: the famous film director is still dazzled by every part and detail of his cinematic work. An almost moving element that showcases this curious and well-told production.
Source: Hiper Textual
