Part 1: Getting past the stereotypes

  Leonardo DiCaprio has been quoted as saying that the character of Jack is "like an open book." But nowhere else have we been given an open book that is so mysteriously layered and complex. At first glance, you see this man as a raucous, fun-loving kid. But as we move past the "Leading Man" stereotypes and move further into what makes him real, we suddenly discover that he has a passion for life that is simply unmatched. He is extremely serious about what he does for a living, which is art. He is good at it, and it brings him joy. Jack is unique because he is a generous, caring man, yet he has faults of his own, like any human being. His decision to steal the 1st Class passenger's coat ultimately decides his eventual fate.

  When Jack decides to prevent Rose from killing herself, we realize that he honestly cares about this complete stranger. So does Rose. That may be what convinces her to step back over the railing. She is shocked that this man cared enough to risk his life for her. It is this entire sequence, and the events after it, that make the Jack character solid. You would expect any other man to approach this suicidal woman with a very passive approach. As it says in Cameron's script, "Like moving up on a spooked horse." But Jack doesn't do this. Instead he goes into a mantra about his home and his father, then proceeds to actually make fun of this woman. It is this in itself that makes us love this guy and want to root for him all the way. And in the end, Jack ultimately risks his life to ensure that she won't go so far as to kill herself.

  Part 2: Those three little words

  I know a number of people who have been complaining about Cameron's writing. They come up to me and lament, "How come Jack never told Rose that he loved her?" They repeat this over and over, driving it into the ground. They complain that in a three hour film, surely Cameron could find the time to have Jack speak those three little words. As these people say this, I nod my head like I don't have an opinion on the subject. It is one of Cameron's faults, they say. We need to hear Jack say these things.

  I'm sorry, people. You are incorrect. This is not one of Cameron's faults, it is an example of his brilliance. The truth of the matter is that we don't need to hear Jack say this, because we already know it. We know that he loves her. He doesn't need to say it. This is evidenced in the fact that he actually dies for her. Jack is a very strong-willed man. He is a fighter. Yet he never states this, and none of the characters in the film state this. We just know it. We see it in his eyes. To these people that complain about the script, I say look harder. Jack will go to the ends of the earth for her. Can you not see this? This is what makes Cameron a superb writer. We can perceive these things about his characters just by looking at them. The character of Jack is just one example among all of Cameron's characters.

  Part 3: Love after Death

  I've been in many arguments where the subject of "Most Romantic Scene" is tossed around. Everyone mentions the flying scene, the car scene, the reunion at the end of the film. Yet no one ever touches on what I consider to be the best and most romantic scene in the film: The "Now you know there was a man named Jack Dawson" Scene. This is possibly one of the greatest sequences Cameron has ever written. The scene is simply the older Rose remembering what Jack did for her. She states, "He saved me, in every way that a person can be saved." This could not be truer. Jack did indeed save her life, but he did more than that. He saved her emotionally. If a person is dead on the inside, then there is no real way they can have a fulfilling life. But Jack transformed Rose into this strong, independent woman with her entire life ahead of her. Rose was missing something in her life. She was missing a spark that Jack had. And when he died, it was as if his spark was transferred to her. That is what enabled her to go on. That's what made her a whole woman again and let her be free. Never again shall I look at Jack as a common romantic hero. He did more than have sex with Rose. He did save her, in every way one human being can possibly save another.

Copyright © Ashley Hirt, 1998