There's A Theory That Jack And Rose From 'Titanic' Sank The Ship, And It Makes Boatloads Of Sense

November 23, 2022 23.4k views16 items

Since Titanic's release in 1997, several fan theories have circulated the internet. However, it's editor Ari Schulman's latest theory that is making quite the splash among fans of Titanic.

This fan theory specifically blames Jack and Rose, the heroes of this story, for unintentionally sinking the ship. Bold statement? Absolutely. Convincing theory? You be the judge.

There Are Plenty Of Hints Throughout The Film That Jack And Rose Are To Blame
“Titanic” drops a bunch of little hints about this: both that in terms of story structure the sinking is the fulfillment of their romance, and that they play a causal role in the events leading to the sinking. You may not have noticed these — but your brain did…
— Ari Schulman (@AriSchulman) December 11, 2021
Let's Start With Looking At Why Bruce Ismay Was So Obsessed With Increasing The Titanic's Speed
Exhibit A: White Star chairman and twirled-moustache doofus Bruce Ismay. In his second, famous scene, he pushes Captain Smith to reach maximum speed so they can arrive early to make headlines.

Why? "The press knows the size of Titanic, now I want them to marvel at her speed." pic.twitter.com/HDBGPhcbTE
— Ari Schulman (@AriSchulman) December 11, 2021

What could have made Ismay feel dissatisfied with Titanic's size?

Well, in his previous scene, he boasts about its "sheer size," "stability," "and above all, strength." He says nothing about its speed. pic.twitter.com/XZqJ06RxR6
— Ari Schulman (@AriSchulman) December 11, 2021
Coincidentally (Or Not), It's Actually Rose Who Plants The Idea That Makes Bruce Ismay Overambitous
But then Rose mentions Freud, and implies that Ismay is preoccupied with size because he's insecure about the size of something else. pic.twitter.com/ruMjX2dYzQ
— Ari Schulman (@AriSchulman) December 11, 2021

Poor Ismay is laughed at by his peers. Even by Mr. Andrews, who actually designed the ship.

Sick burn, Rose. I hope Ismay doesn't rashly turn his obsession toward proving something else about the ship. pic.twitter.com/qYgsJvYuzM
— Ari Schulman (@AriSchulman) December 11, 2021
The Next Hint Takes Place When Captain Smith Is First Warned About The Icy Conditions Ahead
Exhibit B: On the day of the collision, shortly after being pressured by Ismay, Captain Smith is standing on the bridge during a tour led by Mr. Andrews.

Smith receives a radio warning of looming ice. He looks up, initially with a stern, perhaps worried expression. pic.twitter.com/jMewG5OYPY
— Ari Schulman (@AriSchulman) December 11, 2021

But then Smith sees the worried look of Rose and her mother, who are also on the tour. He reassures them: it's perfectly normal. Actually, we're speeding up!

Does he mean it? He's much more confident here than he just was with Ismay — and that was even before the ice warning. pic.twitter.com/wh4ZNrIA8G
— Ari Schulman (@AriSchulman) December 11, 2021
But With Rose And Her Mother There, The Warning Is Pretty Much Ignored
Right after this scene, we see that out of all the leadership, Mr. Andrews is the one who cares most about the ship's safety. His face falls as he admits that he designed the ship to be able to carry enough lifeboats for everyone, but White Star left many off to save deck space. pic.twitter.com/DSKIZXQSS2
— Ari Schulman (@AriSchulman) December 11, 2021

So: If Rose hadn’t been there when Smith got the ice warning, Smith wouldn’t have needed to hide his worry.

And Andrews, the man best attuned to safety, could have recognized the captain's unease — and asked if he was really okay with pushing ahead full speed. pic.twitter.com/hhd9tdln5t
— Ari Schulman (@AriSchulman) December 11, 2021
The Third Hint Is All About Proving One Character Wrong (Which Can Only Be Done By Sinking The Ship)
Exhibit C: Obligatorily in a Titanic movie, someone has the ignoble duty of being That Guy who boasts that the ship is unsinkable.

This rich, witless mook must get his comeuppance in the finale, along with whatever he represents. pic.twitter.com/7anOEOUsD5
— Ari Schulman (@AriSchulman) December 11, 2021

(It's been a while since I was deep into Titanic lore — well before the movie, I was into it first — but I believe the It Can't Sink! guy usually survives the sinking in order to witness the full horror and live with the humiliation for life.)
— Ari Schulman (@AriSchulman) December 11, 2021

There Are Plenty Of Hints Throughout The Film That Jack And Rose Are To Blame

Let's Start With Looking At Why Bruce Ismay Was So Obsessed With Increasing The Titanic's Speed

Coincidentally (Or Not), It's Actually Rose Who Plants The Idea That Makes Bruce Ismay Overambitous

The Next Hint Takes Place When Captain Smith Is First Warned About The Icy Conditions Ahead

But With Rose And Her Mother There, The Warning Is Pretty Much Ignored

The Third Hint Is All About Proving One Character Wrong (Which Can Only Be Done By Sinking The Ship)