Buzz
Apologies, Titanic enthusiasts—director James Cameron has recently confirmed in an interview with Vanity Fair that Jack Dawson's fate was sealed from the beginning. Even after 20 years, fans of the 1997 film still wonder what could have happened if Jack and Rose had been dealt a better hand by fate—or a sturdier door. While Cameron is known for his commitment to accuracy, some have questioned his scientific reasoning, arguing that the floating board might have been able to support both of them while they awaited rescue.
Cameron admitted that Jack's death was “an artistic decision,” since the film “focuses on death and separation.” However, he still defended the choice, explaining that he personally tested the buoyancy of the floating board prop.
“I spent two days in the water with the piece of wood, testing its buoyancy by placing people on it, ensuring that it was just buoyant enough to hold one person fully out of the water. This way, she wouldn’t be submerged in the freezing 28-degree water, allowing her to survive the three hours it would take until the rescue ship arrived,” Cameron explained. (A lifeboat ultimately rescued Rose about an hour later.)
The director firmly believed, and still does, that “that’s what it would have taken for one person to survive.” However, his conviction and artistic freedom didn’t prevent the Mythbusters from challenging his claim in 2012.
Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman of Mythbusters first recreated the scene using dolls and a small-scale version of the iconic door from the film. As expected, the board tipped over, but when they tested it with a full-size replica, they discovered that Rose could have removed her life jacket and placed it under the board for added buoyancy. This adjustment raised the board enough so that nearly 80 percent of their bodies would remain above water while floating.
“With all we’ve learned, I think Jack’s death was needless,” Hyneman concluded. (In response, Cameron argued that the Mythbusters had “missed the point.”)
So, yes—with some clever thinking, Jack might have survived long enough to enjoy a roller coaster ride with Rose at the Santa Monica Pier. But while Cameron isn't one to revise his artistic choices, fans can still appreciate his dedication to scientific accuracy.
In 2012, for the 15th anniversary of Titanic's re-release in 3D, Cameron made a subtle adjustment to the night sky that Rose gazes at while floating in the Atlantic.
“Neil deGrasse Tyson sent me a rather sarcastic email saying that, based on the time of year and location in the Atlantic in 1912, the star field Rose would have seen while lying on the piece of driftwood would not have been the one shown in the film,” Cameron recalled, as reported by The Telegraph. “Considering my reputation for perfectionism, I should have known better and included the correct star field.”
We just wish he had fixed the door instead.
