The controversy surrounding the 1997 film Titanic centers on whether the wooden board that saves Kate Winslet’s character, Rose, from the cold sea could have also supported her romantic partner, Jack, portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio.
A fortunate scientist can now validate their theory as the auction of a piece of balsa wood fetched $718,750 (£567,561).
The auction records disclose that the door, originally part of the frame above the entrance to the ship’s first-class lounge, is held onto by the couple at the center as the ship sinks. However, as they struggle to climb to a safe spot, they realize there is only room for one person. Therefore, Jack sacrifices himself for Rose.
In 2022, filmmaker James Cameron addressed rumors about the necessity of Jack’s death by conducting a “scientific study” in order to officially put the matter to rest and bring an end to the discussion.
“We have conducted a detailed evaluation with a hypothermia specialist, who recreated the raft from the film. Using two stunt individuals of the same body weight as Kate and Leo, we outfitted them with sensors both externally and internally, then submerged them in icy water to test their potential survival methods. The findings concluded that only one of them could have possibly survived; it was not feasible for both to survive.”
Cameron ended by using a smaller degree of scientific reasoning: “Jack’s death was necessary. It’s similar to the story of Romeo and Juliet. It’s a film about love, selflessness, and mortality. The level of love is determined by the level of sacrifice.”
An important part of the Heritage Auctions’ Treasures from Planet Hollywood was made up of Winslet’s chiffon dress from Titanic’s final scene (sold for $125,000 / £98,743), Indiana Jones’s bullwhip from The Temple of Doom (sold for $525,000 / £414,717), and Jack Nicholson’s axe from The Shining (sold for $125,000 / £98,743).
At the recent auction, a rose-colored bowling ball belonging to Bill Murray from the movie Kingpin was sold for $350,000 (£276,454), while Tobey Maguire’s black symbiote suit from Spider-Man 3 was purchased for $125,000 (£98,743).
Wayne Knight’s use of a can of shaving cream to conceal dinosaur embryos in Jurassic Park resulted in a profit of $250,000 (£197,451), while Carrie Fisher’s blaster from Return of the Jedi earned $150,000 (£118,463).
There are some remaining items from the auction on Monday that have not yet been sold, such as the red thong worn by Mark Addy in The Full Monty. The current price for it is $625/£494 if bought immediately.
Source: theguardian.com
