James Cameron has weighed in on the biggest Titanic controversy: ‘Jack might’ve lived’

James Cameron has gone the extra mile to settle the 25-year long debate about whether or not Jack could have survived in his 1997 film Titanic. The revelation came In the NatGeo special Titanic: 25 Years Later with James Cameron.

The oscar-winning film followed the fictional love story of Jack (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (played by Kate Winslet) who find each other on the real life ship the Titanic. At the end of the film Jack sacrifices himself to save Rose who he manages to get on a raft.

It's heart-breaking conclusion shattered the hearts of millions across the world when it was first released, and continues to be a point of contention among fans. Even Rose herself, Kate Winslet recently weighed in on the debate.

Winslet said during a recent appearance on the 'Happy Sad Confused' podcast, saying, "I have to be honest: I actually don’t believe that we would have survived if we had both gotten on that door. I think he would have fit, but it would have tipped and it would not have been a sustainable idea. Yes, he could have fit on that door, but it would not have stayed afloat. It wouldn’t."

Cameron rarely does an interview where he is not asked about his decision to kill Jack at the end of the film. Originally, Cameron told press outlets that forensic analysis confirmed "only one could survive" on the door raft, however, he does admit in the special that there’s a possible outcome where Jack "might have lived."

However, in the new documentary the director hired two stunt people with height and weight similar to DiCaprio and Winslet at the time of filming to recreate the 'Titanic' raft scene.

During the first test, Cameron debunks the long-standing fan theory that there was enough room for both Jack and Rose on the raft meaning they couldn’t have survived. After the test Cameron said that while there is enough room for "Jack and Rose to get on the raft, they’re now both submerged in dangerous levels of freezing water."

In the second test, Cameron again managed to fit both Jack and Rose on the raft but positioned their bodies so that their upper halves (which includes vital organs) remained out of the water, increasing their chances of survival. Cameron said: "Out of the water, [his body’s] violent shaking was helping him. Projecting it out, he could’ve made it pretty long. Like, hours."

However, for this test the endurance came into question. The stunt people were well-rested and able to prop up their upper bodies out of the water for a longer period of time. By the time the characters find themselves at the raft in the film, they’ve endured hours of exhausting chases, potential drownings, fights and the entire sinking of the Titanic. Making it an unsustainable position for survival.

For the third and final test, Cameron got the stunt people to perform all of the strenuous activity that Jack and Rose go through in the film in order to tire them out. Cameron even added a moment not included in the film in which Rose gives Jack her life jacket.

Cameron said: "He’s stabilized. He got into a place where if we projected that out, he just might’ve made it until the lifeboat got there. Jack might’ve lived, but there’s a lot of variables. I think his thought process was, ‘I’m not going to do one thing that jeopardized her,’ and that’s 100 percent in character."

So we finally have our answer. Jack "might’ve lived" if Rose handed him her life vest. However, if you decide to re-watch Titanic after this article, you’ll be sharply reminded that it is very much not the case. Remember to have tissues.