Everyone who has seen the movie “Titanic” has experienced the gut-wrenching feeling when they watched Rose leave Jack behind in the water and felt the heartbreak for the characters second-handedly. However, Jack could have easily gone on.
Throughout the movie, Rose is seen continually rebelling against high-class society, disliking their customs. In fact, Rose and Jack become a star-crossed lovers duo due to their respective economic statuses and Rose is ready to give hers up to be with him. However, when it comes down to it in the end, she still leaves him. This makes Rose seem like she really wouldn’t give up everything to be with Jack and that she therefore still views herself as higher than him. Overall, the choice just makes Rose contradict the idea that she would have given everything to be with him and cheapens their romance. Further, Jack sacrificing himself makes him look like a martyr and a hero while making viewers resent Rose because she let him do so. They tend to leave with a sour taste in their mouth with Rose and prevents them from truly enjoying Rose’s character because it is overshined by their distaste for her move in leaving him behind.
Additionally, 20th Century Studios missed some great opportunities for the movie when they had Rose leave Jack. First, it deprived the viewer of seeing more Leonardo DiCaprio on screen, and that in itself is a crime. But, beyond that, they could have taken the movie in such a different direction if Jack stayed on the door. First, they could have had both Jack and Rose live to tell the story and could be a great romance that viewers aspire to have instead of a tragic almost-everlasting romance. Then, they could have had both Rose and Jack freeze to death on the door and make the general public in the movie never know this secret romance or the story behind the locket, freezing it in time forever like the possible love stories of those who died on the real Titanic. This in itself could make their love story even better because she could show that she refused to leave him behind and that she’d rather die than be without him, making their story all the more stronger and their love eternal.
Overall, Titanic is still an iconic film, but Jack definitely could have fit on that door and 20th Century Studios missed some opportunities to strengthen the movie when they had Rose leave him behind.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the Acumen staff. Reach Cady Armstrong at [email protected].