We all remember that heartbreaking moment in “Titanic.” Jack’s frozen body sinking into the ocean depths. Director James Cameron is fed up with fans arguing Jack COULD have survived. Enough so that he’s conducted a scientific study with a hypothermia expert, fully recreating the conditions of the end of his film.
“It’s like Romeo and Juliet. It’s a movie about love and sacrifice and mortality,” Cameron said. “The love is measured by the sacrifice…Maybe after 25 years, I won’t have to deal with this anymore.” It’s understandable fans of the then baby-faced Leonardo DiCaprio want the romance and not the tragedy. But the debate Rose (Kate Winslet) just had to scoot over to make room has gone on far too long for the director’s tastes.
Back in 2017, “Mythbusters” tackled this topic. Cameron had some thoughts about their findings. “OK, so let’s really play that out: you’re Jack, you’re in water that’s 28 degrees; your brain is starting to get hypothermia,” Cameron said at the time. “Mythbusters asks you to now go take off your life vest, take hers off, swim underneath this thing, attach it in some way that it won’t just wash out two minutes later — which means you’re underwater tying this thing on in 28-degree water, and that’s going to take you five to 10 minutes, so by the time you come back up you’re already dead. So that wouldn’t work.”
Five years later, the filmmaker is steadfast on the topic- “There’s no debate.” Determined to finally provide an answer once and for all, the scientific study will be released as a special in February. Two stunt people of the same body mass as Leo and Kate were covered with sensors, and placed on a raft in icy water. After attempting several methods of potential survival, the answer came up the same. “Only one could survive,” Cameron and co concluded.
Will that be enough to deter the nay-sayers? Unfortunately for Cameron, probably not. But at least there are facts backing up his insistence that it was the only path for the characters. But we’re pretty sure all the Jack fans out there will never say die.
“Avatar: The Way of Water” is currently in theaters worldwide. We’ll let you know what we hear about the long-rumored updated “Titanic” 4K physical release. The restored film is currently streaming on Disney+.
