While most are a matter of preference, for fans of James Cameron’s legendary 1997 Oscar-winner Titanic, there is a fierce debate that has been raging for a quarter of a century: was there room on the raft for Jack as well as Rose?
To set the scene, the fateful RMS Titanic has sunk, with lovers Rose (Kate Winslet) and Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) both managing to evade the wreck that took so many lives.
In the freezing conditions, the couple find a door to use as a raft, with Jack helping Rose on but keeping himself in the water, clinging to the side.
Time passes and soon a half-frozen Rose is able to hear the sound of a rescue boat. She realises Jack has frozen to death, promises she will never let go, then whistles for assistance and eventually safety.
For those who weren’t there, it’s difficult to describe just how popular Titanic was upon its first release in cinemas. But after earning $2 billion at the box office and a record eleven Oscars, discussions soon emerged amongst fans as to whether there really was room on the makeshift raft for Jack?
It wasn’t until April 2012, 15 years after the movie’s release, that a meme really sparked the conversation worldwide. A photo demonstrated how two people could have comfortably fitted on the door, something fuelled by the popularity of Titanic’s rerelease in 3D a couple of months earlier.
It gained so much traction that TV show Mythbusters dedicated an episode to the subject, with Cameron himself tasking hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Heineman with busting what he believed to be a false theory.
In the latest edition of our free digital magazine The Lowdown, we dive into the debate aiming to find out whether there was room on the door for Jack once and for all.
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