Jack and Rose are back on the big screen: James Cameron celebrates the 25th anniversary of ‘Titanic’

It’s been 25 years since Rose (Kate Winslet) had to let go of Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) in the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean after barely surviving the sinking of a gigantic transatlantic vessel on the tape titanicdirected by James Cameron in 1997.

On the occasion of its twenty-fifth anniversary, former fans and also those who have never seen it will have the opportunity to enjoy it in cinematographic format starting this Thursday, February 9 (also as a plan for Valentine’s Day), in an improved version developed for IMAX and 3D.

But no matter how many times I have given play, the stories around the blockbuster that launched its protagonists to world fame will continue to emerge. For example, the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio was very close to rejecting the role of Jack because he found it undemanding.

thanks to one virtual conference with the director of Avatar to which this newspaper was invitedwe tell you other secrets and reflections revealed by Cameron.

Leonardo DiCaprio ‘almost’ not Jack

At 21, Leonardo DiCaprio was already looking for roles that would put him among the best actors, and then he wasn’t sure that the character of Jack Dawson would serve him for that purpose. “He thought the movie was great, but his part wasn’t challenging enough. He didn’t see it in the script. And I had to convince him to play that guy who, while it’s true he doesn’t have an obvious problem going in, yeah he is the most emotionally mature and adult of the couple, and that the transfer of energy that occurs in the love story from Jack to Rose allows her to growCameron recalled. “I told him that would be a difficult thing to convey. And, only when I convinced him of his character’s challenge, did he become interested”.

Also questioned about whether during filming Cameron had signs to anticipate the successful career that Leonardo would have after titanicThe director commented: “We knew at the time that Leo was a very, very strong actor, a very talented actor. And he seemed to have limitless possibilities. But just because an actor has unlimited possibilities doesn’t mean he’s going to go out and get them, something Leo has done.”

Kate Winslet was not the favorite to play Rose

The 22-year-old British actress was one of the most interested in joining the production, although it was not Cameron’s first choice, because he had already come from other period productions. “She was building a ‘Kate in a corset’ reputationCameron recalled. “And the last thing I wanted was for Kate to be in a corset in a film in which one of the most memorable scenes is her being put into a corset, as a visual symbol of how restricted her life was by society and by family. her … But I met her and she was spectacular (…), and I could perceive her chemistry with Leo”.

The original idea came from ‘A night to remember’ (1958)

The black and white tape served as an inspiration for Cameron, who then envisioned a romantic tragedy on the ocean liner for your own production. “I thought what an amazing backdrop it would be for a love story, and I told the head of 20th Century Fox at the time that imagine Romeo and Juliet on that plot (…) We planted our story on top of what was already an incredible story”.

The reasons why it is still a current story

The filmmaker believes that Many of the feelings experienced by its protagonists continue to resonate with the audience. because they are linked to their own life experience. “We all experience love; and, if you are a parent and have children, if you have a spouse you love or a partner, you cannot even think about the moment of their death and separation. So, we all long for that chance to meet again. And that’s how, for example, the movie ends,” explained Cameron, who he intentionally asked the actress who played the aging Rose, Gloria Stuart, to appear in an ambiguous way on stage; but, finally, she asked him to hold his breath. The debate is over: Rose does pass away.

“You can have a romantic comedy with a kiss at the end. But there is something much more powerful in a love story that has a loss. And of course, there is no separation more permanent than death.. And at the end of the movie, the true ending of the movie shows them reuniting.”

The new ‘iceberg’ facing humanity

Cameron was also convinced that humans are about to crash head-on and tragically against the effects of climate change. “We’ve been warned for years, and now we already see it coming right at us, but we can’t turn the boat around,” she stressed. “And guess who is going to suffer the worst? The poor. Not the rich nations that caused it. The same as in the Titanic: it was the rich people who, due to their impatience to reach New York, caused the shipwreck. AND now we have the same thing on a global stage with climate change and all the other ecological disasters that are presented to us”.