‘Titanic’: Jack and Rose’s First Kiss Was ‘Choreographed’ Like ‘a Football Play’
Titanic was record-breaking and a certified James Cameron masterpiece. It launched Leonardo DiCaprio’s and Kate Winslet‘s careers, and Hollywood hasn’t been the same since.
Part of what made the movie great is the excellent chemistry between Winslet and DiCaprio. Even though Jack and Rose’s romance seemed red-hot and natural, things were carefully choreographed behind the scenes.
Jack and Rose’s first kiss in ‘Titanic’ is still iconic
Jack and Rose’s iconic first kiss scene has to be one of the most replicated movie scenes of all time. Jack and Rose meet at the bow of the ship, where Jack holds Rose as she stands at the very edge. “I’m flying Jack” became one of the most quoted lines from the movie.
The beginning of the scene is so memorable that fans may forget what came next: Jack and Rose kiss on the bow, surrounded by the open ocean and an enchanting sunset. It is a great first kiss scene, enough to seduce even the most cynical of movie viewers. It looks natural, and authentic. According to an interview with GQ, Cameron says it was anything but.
Although Cameron knew he wanted Winslet for the part, it took some time for him to find his Jack. DiCaprio was perfect for the role and had a reasonable amount of acting experience. But he was overwhelmed by the importance of the first kiss scene.
According to James Cameron, Jack and Rose’s first kiss was ‘choreographed’
When DiCaprio had difficulty with the first kiss scene, Cameron decided to “choreograph” it for him. The acclaimed director laid out everything DiCaprio and Winslet were to do, using his own hands as a model. “I drew little lips on my hands here like this, and I showed them exactly who’s gonna lead, who’s gonna press in,” Cameron told GQ.
According to Cameron, DiCaprio and Winslet appreciated the “football play”-like instructions. He told GQ that “they’re both so analytical, they loved that.”
The pair practiced and planned for their kiss scene weeks ahead of time. It was almost ruined when nature didn’t cooperate. The sunset backdrop in the epic Titanic scene is real, but Cameron almost didn’t get the shot.
The crew only had a certain number of exterior shoot days, and they were all overcast and gloomy. Cameron told GQ that the last day was looking similar. “And probably 15 minutes before sunset it just opened up and turned into these red bands and the sun came down out of the overcast and it was like, Guys, we got a sunset!”
Kissing in film can be uncomfortable
DiCaprio and Winslet worked well together, and even though it took practice, they had a tremendous on-screen kiss. Winslet has since claimed that DiCaprio complained about having to kiss her so many times in practice, but DiCaprio doesn’t remember feeling that way.
Not all actors are so lucky. Many actors complain about kissing co-stars. Kate Hudson claimed Matthew McConaughey had snot on his face during their on-screen kiss in Fool’s Gold.
Hudson has been named the worst kisser, in addition to naming her own. According to Dane Cook, Hudson ate a meal with onions before they had to kiss on screen.
Multiple actors have complained about kissing Jennifer Aniston, who has a serious coffee habit. Apparently, scenes have been paused for her to have a mint because her coffee breath is unbearable during kissing scenes.
DiCaprio and Winslet’s intricately choreographed kiss scene went rather well, considering how difficult it is for actors to enjoy kissing one another.
