The conclusion of "Titanic" has sparked discussions for years – could Jack have shared the floating door with Rose, or was his fate sealed in the icy waters of the Atlantic? The contentious prop now has a new owner: It was auctioned off last week for a staggering $718,750.
The 1997 hit film helmed by James Cameron tells the story of a fictional couple who were aboard the ill-fated Titanic when it struck an iceberg and sank in 1912. In the climactic scene, Rose DeWitt Bukater, portrayed by Kate Winslet, discovers a floating piece of wood from the ship and uses it as a makeshift lifeboat. Her beloved, Jack Dawson, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, tries to stay afloat on the wooden panel but eventually succumbs to the frigid sea and perishes.
For years, fans have pondered whether Jack could've been rescued if he had also climbed onto the floating debris. However, as per Heritage Auctions, the auction house that handled the sale of the prop, it's not actually a door.
The Legend of Titanic's Door
Legend has it that a carved piece of wood, resembling a door, was inspired by debris salvaged from the Titanic. The original debris was part of the door frame above the first-class lounge entrance in the ill-fated ship constructed by Harland and Wolff. As the ship tragically split in two upon hitting an iceberg, this piece of wood is believed to have emerged from the area of division, floating to the surface as the Titanic descended into the depths of the ocean, as per the auction house.
During his preparation for the film, Cameron frequented the Maritime Museum in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The prop door, reminiscent of an old Louis XV-style panel displayed at the museum, was crafted for the movie.
The prop itself measures 8 feet in length and 41 inches in width, mirroring the broken state it was in during the film. Despite its condition, many speculate that Jack could have fit on it, sparking debates even among the experts at the Discovery Channel's "Mythbusters." Their experiment revealed that if Rose's lifejacket had been attached to the door, it could have potentially supported both Jack and Rose.
"[Jack] needed to die," Cameron shared with Postmedia in 2022, as reported by The Toronto Sun. "It's like Romeo and Juliet. It's a movie about love and sacrifice and mortality. The love is measured by the sacrifice…Maybe after 25 years, I won't have to deal with this anymore."
In an effort to settle the debate once and for all, Cameron went as far as conducting a scientific experiment to determine if both Jack and Rose could have survived on the door. "We took two stunt people who matched the body mass of Kate and Leo, outfitted them with sensors both externally and internally, and submerged them in ice water. We tested various scenarios to see if they could have both made it, and the results were conclusive - only one could have survived," he explained.
