15 facts about the movie “Titanic” that will make you look at it differently!

The elderly couple lying in bed as water floods the room are real people. The passengers of the real Titanic were Isidore and Ida Strauss, and their love story is as touching as the story of Jack and Rose. They were married for 40 years and witnesses say they were allowed to board the lifeboat due to their age, but Isidore refused to board the lifeboat before all the wives and children have left the ship. His wife opted to stay with her husband, and they were last seen on deck, sitting on deck chairs, holding hands.

As the musicians play on deck, the audience sees images of those doomed: the captain, the designer, an elderly couple and an Irish mother telling a fairy tale to her children. The story was about Tír na nÓg: “And so they lived happily together for 300 years, in the land of Tír na nÓg, the land of eternal youth and beauty.” In Irish mythology, Tír na nÓg is part of the Celtic otherworld and can be reached by following a path across the sea. This story was not in the original script, it was suggested by the Irish actors. It’s really perfect: a mother reassures her children by telling them that by diving into the water, they will reach the land where they will be happy.

There are several iconic scenes in Titanic that everyone remembers. The way Jack draws Rose is one of those touching and unforgettable moments. But in the frames where the work is represented in pencil, we see the hand not of DiCaprio, but of Cameron himself. James Cameron not only drew a portrait of Rose, but also all the sketches of “Frenchwomen” that Jack carried with him in a folder. And that’s not all: DiCaprio is right-handed, and Cameron is left-handed, this little detail did not escape the director, and the image was turned upside down during post-production so that nothing could destroy the illusion that Jack is a true artist.

The scene where Jack teaches Rose to spit is pure improvisation, but the skill learned proved to be very useful for the actress! She decided to use it in another scene. When the ship sinks and she wants to leave her family to return to find Jack, her fiancé Cal grabs her hand and won’t let go. Then Rosa spits in his face and breaks free. In the original script, she was supposed to use a bobby pin, but spitting worked even better, especially since Jack taught her how to do it. Also, the actor who played Cal, Billy Zane, was unaware of Winslet’s idea, so his surprise and disgust is a real reaction.

After the ship sank, Jack and Rose were in freezing water. But in this scene, not only Rose trembles, but also actress Kate Winslet. There were even rumors that she had pneumonia, but on The Late Night Show the actress explained that it wasn’t pneumonia, but the water was very cold and she really suffered from hypothermia. A natural question arose why the actors had to suffer so much, to which Winslet replied that there was so much water that it was impossible to heat it.

James Cameron was obsessed with shipwrecks, and the idea of ​​filming Titanic came to him after he met Robert Ballard, the leader of the crew who discovered the wreckage of the famous ocean liner. Production on the film began in 1995 and that same year Cameron dove underwater to see the real ship. Additionally, he dived 12 times and ended up spending 15-17 hours on the wreck of the Titanic, exploring and filming. The footage he made underwater was included in the film, making it even more realistic. Cameron really wanted the viewer to feel: this is not just another drama, but a real tragedy that happened to real people.

Much of the set on set was reconstructed as realistically as possible, with Cameron paying great attention to historical accuracy of detail. The manager also insisted on using real wallpaper, real crystal chandeliers, installing leaded windows, and stamping small items with the White Star Line logo. He also convinced the company that made the carpets for the real Titanic, BMK-Stoddard of England, to make carpets for the film. The manufacturers have retained the original carpet patterns, which can be found in the large living room down the main staircase, in the hallways and in the suites.

The main stairway on the set was a replica of the ship’s real stairway. It was created from the beginning to be destroyed one day. As the ship begins to sink, the ladder room fills with water. And to make it look as dramatic as possible, 90,000 gallons (about 340,000 liters) of water poured down the stairs. The production team knew they only had one chance to film this scene because so much water would completely destroy the set.

James Cameron didn’t want lyrics in his film, let alone pop music. He had originally planned for Enya to compose the film’s score, but when she refused, Cameron turned to James Horner. Horner was aware of Cameron’s intention, but still secretly agreed to a demo recording with Celine Dion of the song My Heart Will Go On. And the director changed his mind. How could he not change his mind?! The song became not only Dion’s signature song, but one of Titanic’s most memorable elements!

#10 The image of the chef in the film is based on a real person who likely survived due to the large amount of alcohol he drank.

The chef we see drinking from a water bottle next to Jack and Rose during the sinking is a real character! Charles John Joughin was an Anglo-American chef and stands out for surviving after spending two whole hours in freezing water! He was the last survivor to leave the Titanic: he climbed onto the safety rail outside the ship and just waited for it to come down like an elevator. The chef explained that he was not cold from the alcohol.

#11 The Renault in the movie was actually on board the Titanic.

The car on the ship at the start of the film is a 1912 Renault Type CB Coupe de Ville. It is the same car that Rose and Jack will make love in later in the film. And even though the scene was fictional, the car was real! That is, such a car was on board the Titanic. And that’s the only car that was transported by the ship. It belonged to an American named William Carter of Bryn Mawr. He bought it during a trip to Europe with his family. Carter survived the crash and later contacted White Star Line for reimbursement for a newly purchased $5,000 car. Today it would be around $130,000.

Since 1985, when Robert Ballard discovered the wreckage of the Titanic, rescuers have been trying to find the remains of the car, but so far they have been unsuccessful. The car could sell for millions of dollars at auction considering the Titanic lunch menu sold for $25,000.

James Cameron often allowed the actors to improvise during filming. In the movie, Jack tells Rosa about the interesting things he’s done in his life and promises her a real adventure! The next scene was almost entirely improvised by the actors: Rose tells Jack that she could never spit “like a man”, so he shows her how.

One of the actual wrecks is on display at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The shape of this artifact resembles the very piece of door that Rose lay on after the disaster. Yes, yes, the controversial one: could Jack hold it or not.

Old Rose in the movie is holding a Pomeranian. It’s not just a random detail, it’s James Cameron’s way of paying tribute to the dogs who survived the sinking of the ship. The dog breed was also chosen on purpose because two of the three surviving dogs were Pomeranians. When the real ship sank, the passengers released their pets. Cameron filmed these scenes, but they were not included in the final cut.

You can only build half the ship, but you can’t skimp on the spawn. When Jack and Rose came to dinner at a first-class restaurant, they were served caviar. To make the scene more authentic, the actors were served real beluga caviar, which costs between $3,500 and $5,000 a pound in the United States.