The level of dedication filmmakers show at times crosses the height of insanity. Previously, actress Kate Winslet had to be a part of something similar to get a realistic shot. The Titanic famed actress once recalled during an interview that she had to undergo some severe situations to get a perfect shot.
The filming of the scene could have been done otherwise in a less brutal way, yet the director decided to let the actor suffer to get a perfect and authentic shot.
Kate Winslet underwent a severe situation to get a perfect shot
Sometimes the actors get very little say in filming scenes, and they ought to perform according to the directors. And at such times, filmmakers often coerce the actors to perform in intense conditions. Kate Winslet, who has faced a similar scenario, once shared her grotesque experience of filming a scene for Titanic.
The 1997 cult classic film was directed by James Cameron and starred Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead roles. The romantic drama was well appreciated by the audience, and the masterpiece will indeed be remembered for ages.
What the audience could see was the perfect depiction of the film, with some sharp detailing that gave a realistic feel to the viewers. But what the audience couldn’t see was the toil of the actors to ace those scenes.
Cameron’s utter dedication to getting his perfect shot made him so stubborn that he didn’t bother with the actors performing the scene.
In the film, it is shown that when the Titanic sank, the water was around 28 degrees, which makes it obvious why Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) froze to death. There is a scene in the film where Rose (Kate Winslet) rushes to the lower deck in search of Jack, who is cuffed to a pipe, and to rescue him, she must use an axe. In that scene, it can be observed that Rose is shivering as the water is cold.
Shooting in such a scenario was very difficult for the actress, yet as per the demands of the director, she had to continue acting no matter what. During an interview, the actress recalled those horrifying moments and stated,
“There were moments of despair when I thought, ‘God, this is so tough, and I’m so tired.’ And, yes, the water was cold.'”
Though Cameron could have made the filming of the scene easier for Winslet by shooting the scene in hot water, he chose to leave it as is since he wanted a realistic shot.
James Cameron had a cold reaction to Kate Winslet’s condition on set
According to James Cameron, it took him 10 minutes to realize that his brutal scenario had left Winslet traumatized. He claimed that he failed to analyze Winslet’s condition because he assumed that she was just overwhelmed, as previously the actress reacted to an emotional scene by crying over it for an hour.
Moreover, the director clarified that the situation would have been severe, but it wasn’t life-threatening. The director said,
“If you have a spill on a horse, you just get right back on the horse; this was [a close-up shot and] not a situation where she could be doubled. If I had it to do over again, I would probably do the same thing.”
Perhaps Cameron is kind of less empathetic when it comes to getting his work done, and he doesn’t mind risking the lives of his actors to get a perfect shot.
Source: Looper
