October 9, 2012 10:16 am
It’s Definitive: Rose and Jack Could Both Have Survived in Titanic
Are these Titanic wax figures not super creepy? Image: Cliff
The scene is iconic: Jack bids Rose a goodbye, letting her stay safe on the raft as it floats away from the sinking Titanic, leaving his fate sealed in the icy waters. But some people have pointed out that, perhaps, Jack was just dumb for not climbing onto the raft. This series of photos started making the Internet rounds earlier this year on sites like The Meta Picture and shows that they could have totally both fit:
Credit: Imgur, Themetapicture.com
But James Cameron, ever a stickler, has consistently explained that the problem wasn’t the space on the raft but its buoyancy: Had Jack tried to climb up he would have certainly pitched Rose into the icy North Atlantic. Well, that’s not true either. Enter: the Myth Busters.
Turns out, if Rose had been less busy crying and more busy thinking she could have tied her life jacket to the bottom of the plank and kept them both afloat. Of course, Rose would never do that. And, of course, James Cameron stands by his decision to kill Jack. Film School Rejects puts it this way:
Of course, Cameron still doesn’t really care, saying “The script says Jack dies. He has to die.” True love is dead, James Cameron. Dead and cold and wet and frozen. Thanks.
More from Smithsonian.com:
Why the Titanic Still Fascinates Us
Titanic vs. Lusitania: Who Survived and Why?
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“Turns out, if Rose had been less busy crying and more busy thinking she could have tied her life jacket to the bottom of the plank and kept them both afloat. Of course, Rose would never do that.”
Putting it all on Rose, are we? Well, that’s rude.
Comment by Julia — October 9, 2012 @ 12:14 pm
But Rose could have done this only if her fingers had stayed nimble enough in the cold water to tie the jacket on, which I would not expect. Also, the Mythbusters’ hypothermia tests showed that Rose could have been alive when the boat arrived, but would not have had the use of her arms and legs, and so would have been unable to swim to retrieve the whistle she needed to alert the lifeboat. But then the hypothermia testing did not include the coat that Rose was wearing. More testing!
Comment by Ubi Dubium — October 10, 2012 @ 9:22 am
I’m surprised the writers from the Smithsonian, no less, would come up with such hairbrained hypotheses. Hypothermia renders one nearly useless with loss of brain and motor functions within seconds of hitting water that cold. Surely in light of what we think might have happened, they would have both been unable to think, plan, and execute much of anything under those circumstances, not to mention the lack of stability of the board upon which Rose was floating. Rose is lucky she got out…IF the woman who claimed to be Rose really was who she said she was.
Comment by Clare — October 14, 2012 @ 9:19 am
Perhaps I’ve missed it, but I can’t recall ever seeing any mention of the fact that for at least the last 1/2 hour of the movie when Jack is handcuffed and Rose frees him, they are almost continuously in icy water flowing in from the outside. Why did its frigidity only start to affect them after they were actually in the ocean?
I’ve also always wondered what happened to Molly Brown’s son. She lends Jack his clothes so young Brown had to have been on board as unneeded luggage was put into the hold and inaccessible to passengers during the voyage.
Comment by Steve — October 14, 2012 @ 9:23 am
Since they’re fictitious, and their situation is fictitious; you’re free to develop any scenario you may choose.
Comment by 2WarAbnVet — October 14, 2012 @ 11:24 am
Except Jack would have died in the cabin when he was chest deep in near freezing water for too long. He never would have made it to the deck. But then, I was too busy laughing at the absurd plot and dialogue to consider this a serious movie.
Comment by Lmaris — October 14, 2012 @ 11:43 am
A true love story ends in death. If the story carries on after marriage, we end up with something like “Romeo and Juliet go to Costco.”
Comment by Les Borean — October 14, 2012 @ 1:15 pm
Talk about useless speculation!
Comment by Chickster — October 14, 2012 @ 3:08 pm
Margaret (Molly) Brown’s son was not aboard the Titanic. The only other Brown on the first class passenger list was Mrs. J. Murray Brown, the widow of an executive with Little, Brown publishers, who was also a survivor.
If I remember correctly, in the movie ‘Molly’ says that she’s bringing the suit back from Europe for her son. But, again, it’s a movie, fiction, and Jack had to get an evening suit from somewhere to be allowed to dine in first class – so the script provided it…
Comment by serenpoly — October 14, 2012 @ 11:09 pm
The real problem is not the room or the raft’s buoyancy. Has anyone ever been in really cold water for just a few minutes – even one minute – and then tried to do ANYTHING. I have. There would be no way that he could have mustered up enough coordination or strength to get onto the raft. Your large muscles seize up. You can still talk, wiggle fingers, etc. But forget about any kind of big movement.
Comment by Do Haywood — October 15, 2012 @ 11:15 am
Here’s an easier way they could’ve both made it. Rose should’ve stayed in the lifeboat and floated to safety, leaving room on top of the makeshift raft, where he would’ve later been found by the rescue boat by using the whistle. Even easier, they should’ve actually filled all the lifeboats before deploying them.
Comment by Ian — November 16, 2012 @ 11:24 am
Sorry, don’t buy it. You do not consider the stress, time and date factors. When under stress and cold, people do not have the clairvoyance of two mythbusters with 20/20 hindsight. These two people had next to no knowledge of physics and buoyancy. There was little time to think straight. Lastly, this is 100 years ago. This is a no brainer. Two mondern minds, mythbusters, educated with time to think casually with modern safety vests on were able to imagine that maybe the vest would increase buoyancy. And on the other hand, Jack is there without vest and you expect him to suggest to her or her to imagine on her own that gee, she could take her life saving vest off and tie it under the wooden debris. Then risk slipping off the float without a vest on. Lastly, you have to think of this and do this in absolute darkness. James, your movie plot and how Jack died is reasonable.
Comment by Tim Reynolds — December 28, 2012 @ 8:59 pm
..useless disscussion.
its a movie .. if both who had survive to me it woundn ;t be pretty anymore. now its pretty cuz one dies but also you can ask what if . if both survived the movie woul just endend and you can make what if s… so again useless…
Comment by sgosra — January 21, 2013 @ 3:35 pm
i think rose is selfish on that time instead crying she would get her life jacket and put it on other sides so jack can be saved into be frozen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by niane — February 4, 2013 @ 7:02 am
I don’t think most people with little maritime experience would think of putting the life jacket under the raft…not to mention they just witnessed tons of people die. Rose, who was never the thinker of the pair, wasn’t in the right state of mind to think up something like that, and apparently Leo wasn’t either.
Comment by Steve — February 20, 2013 @ 8:32 pm