Strange bit of dialogue... {scene 293}greenspun.com : LUSENET : TitanicShack : One Thread |
Rose realizes that Jack is dead. She says, "I'll never let go...", and then she lets him go!! Am I the only one that thinks that is weird?
-- Laura (lrc@usit.net), January 30, 1998
I couldn't help but feel horrified either at first, when she said that and then lets him go and sink! Then I remembered what the promise was all about. Never let go, no matter how hopeless. She just promised to survive and live life, remember he mentioned that she would have lots of babies? He made her promise to live life for them both, and never go back to Cal or his way of life.
-- Caron (bianchi@iserv.net), January 30, 1998.
thats the thing. she DOESN'T let go. i mean, sure she gives up his hand, but jack remains with her. it implies that jacks love for rose trancends physicial bounds. its the same idea as jack not saying the cliched, over-commercialized "i love you." the love jack and rose share goes beyond simple everyday run-of-the-mill love. its the kinda thing people sacrifice everything over. its the kinda thing that can't be expressed in words...
-- Jordan Gray (Yek401@mailexcite.com), January 30, 1998.
There are many very powerful scenes in this movie, but I think this may be the ultimate, the one that has kept me obsessed with the movie! After Rose realizes that Jack has passed on, she lays her head down for a minute in defeat. She is so devastated that Jack is gone, she is so cold and tired, it would be easiest just to subcumb to death. Then in a flash she remembers her promise to "never let go." This promise suddenly overrides everything else. She lets Jack's physical body go, because it's the promise to his soul that matters. She dives back into the freezing water and swims over to the officer(?) with the whistle and starts blowing with all her might. This image of Rose blowing the whistle is what has stayed with me. Rose's strength, the strength that Jack gave her and the strength that she always had but never fully realized until now, is what's so powerful to me. I've compared this movie to Romeo and Juliet, you know, doomed lovers from opposite sides, and I feel that Jack and Rose's story is superior. Why? Because R & J end up taking what I see as the easy way out, committing suicide. Rose could have let herself die, which would have been easiest, but she chose to live for Jack. You look at the photos of her taken shortly after the sinking, on the horse, etc., and she looks so radiant and happy. How could she have been? Because instead of mourning she chose to to live and dedicate her life to Jack, and that's maybe the strongest, most courageous (movie) act I've witnessed.
-- Jen Alexander (jmalexande@mofo.com), January 30, 1998.
I love your answer, Jen. Those are my thoughts too.
-- Colleen (colleendi@earthlink.net), January 30, 1998.
VERY nicely put, Jen. The only thing I can contribute to the scene you describe is the sound of Rose's hoarse voice when she was yelling "Come back" to the lifeboat. It had such a haunting sound to it.
-- Linda (Ashokan4@Yahoo.com), January 30, 1998.
Jen, well said!
-- M.M. (masima@earthlink.net), January 30, 1998.
Kudos Jen!!!!!! That's exactly what I was thinking also. Your comments TRULY brought tears to my eyes!!!!!!Joie
-- Joie (HrtofdOcn@aol.com), January 31, 1998.
Three cheers for Jen!! (even though you made me cry!) I think those same thoughts when I hear the song "My Heart will go on", I just can't imagine that kind of strenght to KNOW your heart will go on, it's amazing. If she had given up and died without even trying, then Jack's giving of his own life to save hers would have been for nothing. And I think thats what we see on her face, when she holds her head high and decides to SURVIVE, because thats what Jack wanted, for Rose to SURVIVE. So she did it for HIM. (Now I'm making myself cry!)
-- Caron (bianchi@iserv.net), January 31, 1998.
This scene is by far the hardest to swallow. It brought the whole movie together and made it so difficult to take. The image of her face as he drops to the ocean is so sad and as mentioned her courage to keep the promise is what was so powerful in the face of the circumstances. Jen's answer is how we who "felt" this movie saw it. It is a feeling that is bigger than life.The emotion that I went through during that scene is still hurting me today. This was by far the best (and in some ways the worst for myself) movie ever made!!
-- DK (brian.kush@ey.com), January 31, 1998.
...also, i agree with Jen that the story of "Jack and Rose" is far more superior than Romeo and Juliet, perhaps, any romance movie, by far. this is truly an AMAZING love story!!!!
-- M.M. (masima@earthlink.net), January 31, 1998.
That whole scene was really moving. Jack knows he is going to die and senses that Rose is starting to give up. So he makes her promise not to give up "no matter how hopeless things look" (i.e. after he's dead) and go on to live a full live. When Rose realizes Jack is dead, she is tempted to give up at first, but then she remembers her promise and goes to be rescued. It was Jack making her make that promise that saved her life as much as him giving up his place on the piece of wood so she could stay out of the freezing water. Then, his death was not in vain, but Rose lives the rest of her life fully, almost like a memorial to him, the only gift she can give him back.
-- Cindy (Cydwalker@aol.com), January 31, 1998.
Your answers are making me cry. *sigh*
-- Colleen (colleendi@earthlink.net), January 31, 1998.
jen, my sentiments exactly..
-- Jordan Gray (Yek401@mailexcite.com), February 01, 1998.
Great answers, everyone. Colleen, I agree that "I know that my heart will go on" really touched me in Celine Dion's song, too. It is as if Rose decided that she would struggle through life and keep her promise. I also believe that the strongest love does not always need to be proclaimed in words. Her actions and the fulfillment of the promise testified to her love more than screaming it from mountain tops could have.
-- Rose (rosemarie17@hotmail.com), February 01, 1998.
Actually, when Rose said that she would never let go.It's not referring to Jack, but referring to the promise of staying alive. I think it was because of that promise she lived up to a hundred years old.I thought this is pretty obvious, how did you manage to find it weird????If she said "I will never let go of that promise" maybe you could have understood.
-- Iori Yagami (ioriyang@hotmail.com), February 01, 1998.
Jen, I can honestly say that there is no way I could have put it better myself! You really analyzed this movie to death(in a good way)! Wow, I just can't get your words out of my mind! They were so vivid and it's driving me to tears.
-- it's me! (KWinsletJC@aol.com), February 03, 1998.
*I want to express my kudos also to Jen for her response*It's hard to say, but sometimes I think the "Titanic Movie Lovers Community" per se has this... bond. I think that it also needs to be said that I think that Rose already HAD that strength in her (remember the scene in the gym when Jack 'kidnaps' her and tells her HE can't save her, only SHE can do that) I think that Jack may have been the catalyst to Rose REALIZING she ALREADY HAD this strength - and I think that EVERY SINGLE one of us does, too. I have recently come to question whether or not to "go on" and even though I don't have a "Jack" to help me, I have decided to live life. I think the phrase that best sums up what I am saying is from Shawshank Redemption: "Get Busy LIVIN', or Get Busy DYIN'." Rose decided to get busy LIVING, as do I. I really think this movie is the strong woman Rose IS and how she discovers this power and uses it to live her full life.
-- Jennifer Bialek (JenBialek@AOL.COM), February 03, 1998.
In response to Linda's addition. I have spoken to friends about that scene where Rose says 'Come back' although it is fairly obvious from the film that she is calling for the lifeboats to come back, a different viewpoint is that in her grief for Jack, she could equally be shouting for Jack to 'come back'. I think maybe this explains just why that scene is so haunting. Anyway don't want to dwell on it for too long as it still leaves a lump in my throat!
-- Simon (ia501060@ntu.ac.uk), February 04, 1998.
I can't describe my feelings when she was telling Jack that there was a boat. I feel like I become her. She can barely move yet when she sees the light she turns around and tells jack in the hoarsest whisper that "there's a boat" I was moved beyond reasoning... It was amazing.. I also think that It shows the kind of person James Cameron must be to have written a woman with such inner strength. She is truely an amazing character. I only wish I could learn to possess the inner strenght she needed to "never let go" and survive in the dourest odds.
-- kelly (klliven@ibmnet.com), February 04, 1998.
HELLO? ROSE SAID "I'LL NEVER LET GO" PROMISING TO JACK THAT SHE'LL NEVER LET GO OF HER PROMISE!!!! HER PROMISE!!!! HER PROMISE NOT TO DIE THAT NIGHT, TO DIE AN OLD LADY-WARM IN HER BED! DUH! WHO WOULD WANT TO HOLD ON TO A DEAD GUY WHILE TRYING TO SURVIVE YOURSELF? SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT HER PROMISE. GET IT?
-- Krista (HNSN FAN@AOL.com), February 06, 1998.
Y'all, I KNOW what Rose meant when she said "I'll never let go....". I just found the juxtaposition in the dialogue of Rose's words and her actions strange, that's all! And Krista, thanks for answering my question in such an eloquent manner!
-- Laura (lrc@usit.net), February 06, 1998.
Laura, I understand what you are talking about, I knew what she meant but at the same time found it very ironic that she 'let go' right after saying that.Anyway, I love *most* everyone's comments and agree with them.
Krista, Have you ever heard that there is no such thing as a stupid question? Since I have been on this site, you are the first person I've seen treat someone else's question/thought with such disrespect. Shame on you.
-- Becky Gordon (becky.gordon@pfs.sprint.com), February 13, 1998.
you go, laura. I thought it was weird,too. She has to literally let go of him, but never let go in her heart.
-- gaile (luvtitanic@wow.com), February 14, 1998.
I agree Laura- I thought it was strange at first but then I thought of it and she doesnt let go. From the moment they meet when she is hanging from the back of the ship it's apparent that he is committed to always making sure that she is ok. Even though he barely knows her at first he cares about her so deeply because he is the only one who truly sees her as she really is. "you have a gift Jack- you see people". Her mother, Cal, etc.- they don't TRULY know Rose the person. Jack does. And through the whole movie- HE never lets go. He doesnt let go when she slips on railing, he doesnt let go when she tries to push him out of her life, he doesnt let go when he shows her to "fly". "Do you trust me?" He doesnt even let go as they are dancing when she is reluctant to!! He also doesnt let go at all during the sinking- he ALWAYS has hold of her hand. Jack also holds on to her as the stern is plunging into the water. And in the water- HE has hold of her hand until she lets him go. But this wasnt a bad thing on her part, by letting go of his hands- she was continuing to live, which was Jack's wish for her. In other words... yes I do have a point! :) in other words, perhaps it was his destiny to meet her and save her. So she might of physically let go but she really didnt'. Not only did Jack save her from dying in the sinking- he saved her from the nightmarish life she would have been trapped in. So maybe he was like a guardian angel or something. I don't really know. But I do know that the old Rose was right when she said, "He saved me in every way possible" because after the sinking her "heart did go on". I think she would've lived a happier life having that experience of love then ending up killing herself or being controlled by Cal.
-- chris (angelee426@aol.com), February 24, 1998.