Titanic : yes Jack could have survived... and here's how !

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his movie, James Cameron recreated the farewell scene between Jack and Rose in real conditions. Result : if he had climbed on the raft, the hero could have avoided hypothermia.

This is one of the most controversial scenes in the history of cinema. In December 1997, James Cameron killed Jack, the hero of the movie Titanic, struck down by the cold of the icy waters of the Atlantic. We all remember the heartbreaking farewells of Rose, played by Kate Winslet, who she survived by floating on a door detached from the wreckage of the ship. If the scenario was romantic at will, was it logical ? That's right, couldn't Jack have gotten on that makeshift raft too and waited for help with his beloved ? The question has haunted fans for years and James Cameron has had to answer it dozens of times in interviews, to the point of annoyance.

But the director is a scientist at heart. So he wanted to check for himself. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the film, the masterpiece was released this Wednesday, January 8 at the cinema. To this return to theaters, there is a documentary produced by National Geographic in which Cameron takes up the game of recreating the mythical scene to see if the two lovers could have survive.

A full-scale test

To definitively close the debate, the Canadian filmmaker has maked a lot of effort. No question of using a vulgar model with dolls. No. The test was carried out on a full-scale basis, in a pool of frozen water at a temperature similar to that of the waves that engulfed the liner. We did not go so far as to disturb Leonardo DiCaprio and his partner. So these are two doubles who took their place and tried to survive this funny experience.

Two scenarios were tested. First the one from the film, in which Jack hangs on the door, his body immersed in the water. Verdict, he would indeed have died of hypothermia. For the second try, the stuntmen tried to climb on the piece of wood and the result is clear : yes, the lovers could have climbed together on the door and stayed alive until the arrival of the lifeboats. On the other hand, contrary to what some articles on the internet suggest, they could not have held lying against each other. But by getting their bodies out of the water enough, keeping their torso (and therefore their vital organs) at the temperature of the air, they could have resisted the cold and would "have a good days" together.

The third biggest hit in cinema history

This alternative ending then raises another question : would the film have been so successful without this bittersweet ending ? Either way, Titanic remains one of the greatest hits of all time today. With $ 2.2 billion at the box office, it is the third most seen movie in theaters, behind the first part of Avatar (again by James Cameron) and Avengers Engame from Marvel Studios. "I grant you that 100 million of our box office is due to the charm of Leonardo DiCaprio on 14-year-old teenage girls," quipped the director at a press conference.

Beyond the figures, this film adaptation is now anchored in all memories and has consolidated the legend of the liner of dreams a little more : "There have been much greater tragedies since the Titanic" analyzes Cameron, "but the Titanic has this sort of enduring, almost mythical, romantic quality to it. I believe it has to do with love, sacrifice and death,” he added. If something had to be redone, now he has his little idea : "Given what I know now, I would have created a smaller raft, so that there is no doubt! ".