There is a lot of controversy around the iconic and highly debated “Titanic” scene between Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose Dewitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) and that dang door!
Was there room on the door for the two of them? Would the door have sunk? Was it too late for Jack anyway?
Now, Winslet has an interesting fact about the “Titanic” door scene that shines a new light on the whole situation.
The End of a Love Story
For those unfamiliar with the tragic love story, “Titanic” tells the story of the short-lived romance between passengers Rose and Jack during the ship’s maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. The ship struck an iceberg in 1912, sinking the ship and ending the lives of many on board.
This historical fictional love story ends with Jack and Rose in the freezing water. Rose sits on a floating door while Jack holds on in the ocean, dying slowly from the brutal temperature.
Winslet Brust Our Bubbles
During a Q&A at an advance screening of her upcoming movie, “Lee,” that infamous door scene from the 1997 James Cameron film came up in conversation (again).
Winslet revealed that the water wasn’t as deep as it looked on screen. She noted that it was very simple for her to get in and out of the tank to go to the restroom while filming.
“Well that was quite an awkward tank … because to burst the bubble, it was waist height at that time,” Cameron said, according to PEOPLE. “So first of all, I was regularly like, ‘Can I just go for a pee?’ And then I get up, get off the door, walk to the edge of the tank, sort of 20 feet away and I literally have to fling my leg over and climb up and come and get back on the door again. It’s terrible.”
“Anyway, yeah. So it was waist-high,” Winslet notes. “Leo, I’m afraid to say, was kneeling down. I shouldn’t be saying anyways, Jimmy Cameron’s gonna be ringing me,” Winslet jokes, possibly revealing the behind-the-scenes magic of Cameron’s filmmaking.
Why Do People Care About the “Titanic” Door Scene?
The Academy Award Winning Best Picture faced controversy over the door scene because many people believe that Jack would have lived if Rose just scooted over.
The Mythbusters even put the controversial scene to the test:
While DiCaprio famously chooses to not publicly speak about the debate, Winslet says on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that Jack could have fit on the door, but they would have sunk.
Cameron has tested the theory to “put this whole thing to rest and drive a stake through its heart once and for all.” He tells the Toronto Sun that two people could have fit on the door, but there was no way both could have survived due to body mass, the door’s density, and the conditions of the water.
But what do you think of this infamous door scene? Let us know in the comments!
