News culture “No Disrespect” This cult film from James Cameron ends badly for good reason
The history of cinema is full of anecdotes, each more exciting than the last. As the years go by, tongues often loosen, and James Cameron is no exception to the rule. The director of the Terminator and Avatar saga recently returned to one of his greatest masterpieces, more precisely a choice that left a lasting impression on viewers. Leonardo DiCaprio’s character dies at the end of Titanic for good reason.
An iconic ending for Titanic
Titanic was released 27 years ago, it’s no longer a spoiler. There is a recipe, so to speak. The end of the film directed by James Cameron is marked by the tragic death of Jack Dawson, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, under the helpless gaze of his love Rose DeWitt Bukater.
No happy ending for Jack and Rose, which didn’t upset viewers who keep coming back to this event. To defend his vision, James Cameron underlines his great desire to give the public the most realistic experience possible while being respectful to the people who died in this maritime disaster. For this reason – respect – death separates our two lovebirds at the end of the film. During an interview conducted by our colleagues at Le Parisien, James Cameron spoke about this sequence, which, even in 2024, remains one of the saddest and most touching in the 7th century.
“I wanted to give the audience as much realism as possible, especially for the scene where the liner goes down,” emphasizes James Cameron. I’m often asked, “Why does Jack have to die at the end?” because, in my opinion, a happy ending would have ignored the tragedy of the event. However, when Rose dreams or dies at the end, they are reunited. When we were filming the final sequence, Gloria Stuart, who played the older Rose, asked me, “So, Mr. Director, should I play her dead or alive?” I replied, “Hold your breath”! -James Cameron
Titanic, the film of all records
With an estimated budget of $200 million, “Titanic” is one of the most ambitious cinematic projects of the late 20th century. James Cameron even refused to get paid to offset the explosion in production costs. It was very good for him because Titanic was a huge success in the cinema. This “historic” film is still the fourth biggest international box office success of 2024, having collected $2.258 billion. And its release in 2023 for a limited time to mark its 25th anniversary has only rekindled the flame of passion in the hearts of fans.
Over and beyond, Titanic left the 1998 Academy Awards with 11 statuettesthus equaling the record that Ben-Hur has held since 1960. Here are the Oscars Titanic won: Best Picture, Best Director (James Cameron), Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sets, Best Costumes, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Song (“My Heart Will Go On”), Best Original Score and Best Sound.