James Cameron suggests that Jack could have survived in ‘Titanic’
In an upcoming National Geographic Channel special, Titanic: 25 Years Later With James Cameron, the director behind the iconic 1997 film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, suggested that the lead character, Jack, might have been able to survive.
For years, fans of the movie have speculated that Jack could’ve survived the ship’s tragic sinking if he had climbed onto the raft alongside Rose. Cameron has mainly avoided addressing fan theories for years, although he did discuss them in December, claiming that tests had been carried out to confirm that only one of the characters could’ve survived on the raft.
However, the new National Geographic special actively encourages the idea that Jack could’ve lived to see a happy ending. The show employs two stunt doubles to recreate the film’s end, attempting to prove Cameron wrong.
The first test disproves the fan theory that the two could’ve squeezed onto the tiny raft together. Cameron explains that even though there is technically enough room for “Jack and Rose to get on the raft, they’re now both submerged in dangerous levels of freezing water.”
Another test repositions the stunt doubles on the raft, so their upper halves are out of the icy water. Cameron states, “Out of the water, [Jack’s] violent shaking was helping him. Projecting it out, he could’ve made it pretty long. Like, hours.” Although this provides a better solution, it is unlikely that Jack and Rose would have the endurance to remain in this position, considering the previous events of the film.
Thus, for the final test, the stunt doubles perform the intense activity that Jack and Rose endure in the movie. The director also includes something that does not happen in the film – Rose giving Jack her life jacket. “He’s stabilised. He got into a place where if we projected that out, he just might’ve made it until the lifeboat got there. Jack might’ve lived, but there’s a lot of variables. I think his thought process was, ‘I’m not going to do one thing that jeopardised her,’ and that’s 100 per cent in character.”
Titanic: 25 Years Later With James Cameron airs on February 5th. A restored 4K 3D version of Titanic will hit cinemas on February 11th.