Titanic was originally released in December of 1997, and it has since been re-released to theatres twice. Why would a James Cameron movie made 24 years ago still be on anyone’s mind? Titanic means a lot to people and it has truly stood the test of time, as fans still praise the movie just as highly as when it first came out. There’s something about this Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio film that has really resonated with fans, and its legacy still brings in new admirers as each year passes.
Before Cameron even wrote a single word of the script, he went to 20th Century Fox producers, took a painting of the Titanic ship made by artist Ken Marschall, slapped it down on the table, and said, “Romeo and Juliet on that ship.” Cameron had just had a major success with his Terminator franchise, and no one was going to question his vision. Titanic was in pre-production for over two years as the crew actually built an entire side of the ship, full scale, and several miniatures. Cameron also took time to explore the actual shipwreck with deep-sea submersibles and special cameras that were invented just for the purpose of capturing footage of the Titanic for the movie.
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But without the right actors, the movie would not have been the colossal success that it is. Stars of the movie — Winslet and DiCaprio — were the perfect people to help bring Cameron’s vision to life. Winslet just had her forty-sixth birthday this year on October 5, but she was only 19 when she first approached Cameron to play Rose. She said to Cameron, “you don’t understand, I am Rose,” meaning after she read the script, she felt a deep connection to the character. She sent Cameron a letter with a rose flower, and the letter essentially told the director that she was ready for this challenge no matter what.
As Cameron says in the video, a 19-year-old girl carrying the weight of a $200 million movie on her shoulders with all the cameras pointed at her would be stressful for any seasoned actor. But Winslet kept a cool and level head and performed her heart out. The actor had only been in a handful of movies up to that point, but that didn’t stop her from landing the role, as even in her first screen test it’s apparent the amount of talent she has. If fans watch the eight-minute screen test, they will definitely notice something off about the scene. That’s because the character Jack was being played by a different actor. Jeremy Sisto isn’t a bad actor, but the chemistry between him and Winslet is noticeably off compared to the absolutely perfect connection Winslet and DiCaprio had, and still have.
The young Titanic actress knew of the nude scene in the movie, which was done very tastefully and artfully, and in order to not be nervous when the time came, Winslet flashed DiCaprio the very first time they met after they had both been cast. That definitely broke the tension, as the two actors still have a strong, life-long bond of friendship.
Titanic is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
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Source: YouTube | enjoyyourself23