Did Jack survive?James Cameron answers for the film’s 25th anniversary

James Cameron, 68, has few regrets as a director. His career has produced his three of his four blockbusters in world cinema, including the pivotal ‘Titanic’, which celebrates its 25th anniversary.

The ongoing controversy surrounding his death is just one example of the Titanic story “seemingly never ending to the public,” Cameron said at a press conference before his return.

“Since the Titanic sank in 1912 after colliding with an iceberg, there have been far greater tragedies,” he added, referring to the two world wars that left the 20th century. “But the Titanic has this kind of enduring, almost mythical, romantic quality.”

“I think it has to do with love, sacrifice, and death,” the director added, pointing out “men who didn’t board lifeboats for women and children to survive.”

full-scale exam

To celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary, which was released in December 1997, the director performed a life-size test in an ice-water pool using two stuntmen and an exact replica of the door used in the filming. I put the fan theory to the test. .

During the performance, which was staged for a documentary produced by National Geographic, the two extras taking over the roles of Rose and Jack wore several thermometers to gauge the rate at which they fell victim to hypothermia. was equipped.

Experience has made it clear that Jack’s tragic fate is not inevitable.

As in the film, the first test of Wanderer clinging to the door without climbing it confirmed that he died of hypothermia. However, a second test, in which the stuntman was able to balance on the door and keep his torso, a vital organ out of the water, suggests that Jack may have been saved.

In this scenario, “he could have held out until the lifeboats arrived,” the director admits. “Final verdict? Jack could have probably survived. But that depends on many variables.

This tragic love story will not include an alternate ending as it returns to theaters a week before Valentine’s Day.

With $2.2 billion in worldwide box office revenue, Titanic is the third-highest-grossing movie in theaters, behind only superhero films. Another James Cameron juggernaut, “Avatar.”

The second part of the saga, Avatar: Path of Water, is now in theaters and is expected to soon surpass the earnings of Titanic. Mr. Cameron has collected his $7.25 billion, equivalent to Bermuda’s GDP, in his three biggest films. .

A number that directors strive to keep in perspective. “I’ll admit that[Titanic’s]100 million box office draw was due to Leonardo DiCaprio’s charm as a 14-year-old teenage girl,” he joked.

“Titanic” and its three hours were not only successful, they left another legacy.

“Before +Titanic+, Doxa (…) wanted a long film not to bring in money,” says Cameron.