It's the debate that never dies.
(In our best Rose voice) It's been 25 years... since the blockbuster Titanic came out, and we are still arguing whether or not Jack could've fit on the floating panel with Rose instead of succumbing to hypothermia from the frigid waters.
Just over a month ago, the film's director James Cameron revealed that he commissioned a study to prove once and for all that in order for Rose to survive, Jack had to die.
He told the Toronto Sun:
"We have done a scientific study to put this whole thing to rest and drive a stake through its heart once and for all."
"We have since done a thorough forensic analysis with a hypothermia expert who reproduced the raft from the movie."
"We took two stunt people who were the same body mass of Kate and Leo and we put sensors all over them and inside them and we put them in ice water and we tested to see whether they could have survived through a variety of methods and the answer was, there was no way they both could have survived."
"Only one could survive."
It seems now, however, Cameron is changing his tune.
The results of the test he commissioned, which will be spotlighted in the NatGeo special Titanic: 25 Years Later with James Cameron, revealed Jack may have been able to share the makeshift raft and not fully surrender to hypothermia until help arrived.
*BUT* "there's a lot of variables."
You can watch the segment below.
Rolling Stone reported Cameron's confession.
"Final verdict: Jack might have lived, but there's a lot of variables."
"In a well-lit experiment in a test pool, we can't possibly simulate the terror, the adrenaline, all the things that would have worked against them."
"[Jack] didn't get to run a bunch of different experiments to see what worked the best. Jack's survival might have come at the cost of her life."
He added:
"Based on what I know today, I would have made the raft smaller so there's no doubt."
Somehow we think there still would've been a debate.
Some people on social media think it's time to let go of the debate and just accept Jack's fate.
Seriously people are really still fighting about this??
He made it obvious in 1997. Its just a movie.
Move on people
— RFlovesFutbol (@dreamgirl9430) February 2, 2023
But the movie would lost it’s meaning if he did, so why do we care?
— Lady B!tvh (@ARTPOP2o23) February 2, 2023
OMG - let it go!
— Truth Hurts (@jellencamara) February 2, 2023
Others, though, needed a finite answer. Cameron's test did nothing to squash the debate.
first y’all say it could happen, then say it couldn’t, then say it might. Make up your mind
— casual (@reveheaven) February 2, 2023
he literally has spent decades arguing otherwise i know he's embarrassed
— jelly (@spideyguell) February 2, 2023
And, of course, those who always felt Jack could have survived finally celebrated their hypothetical victory.
National Geographic/YouTube
National Geographic/YouTube
National Geographic/YouTube
Is it just us, or did this just completely reignite the debate?
Titanic will be re-released in theaters on Valentine's day.
Titanic: 25 Years Later with James Cameron will air on February 5 on National Geographic where you will be able to learn more details of the experiment.