Titanic fans have shared their shock and awe after seeing how one of the most tense and famous scenes was filmed. James Cameron’s epic 1997 film told the tale of two teenagers from different social classes who fall in love while aboard the doomed ship, blending an epic romance with a tense, dramatic disaster movie.
The three hour spectacle, which stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead roles of Rose Dewitt Bukater and Jack Dawson, charts the ship’s voyage, which spanned less than five days, before it hit an iceberg and sank in the freezing waters of the North Atlantic ocean. The wreckage lies 12,500 feet (3,810 meters) under the water.
Director James Cameron was keen to offer audiences an accurate vision of the sinking, with one famous scene seeing the iconic glass dome – which was located above the Grand Staircase – shatter as water poured into the ship.
Passengers can be seen screaming and clinging on to the ornate pillars and posts surrounding the staircase, desperate not to be swept away by the powerful gushes.
In a clip shared on Facebook, fans got a glimpse of how the scene was shot – with approximately 341,000 litres of water used to simulate the sinking.
Huge containers of water, positioned outside the interior set, were opened and the water came pouring out and into the staircase. The actors – accompanied by on-set divers kitted out in scuba gear – could be heard yelling in terror.
The scene had to be completed in just one take due to the volume of water used, and the destruction it would cause to the set.
Accompanying the clip, Raise RMS Titanic Foundation penned: “The Grand Staircase flood scene (when the glass dome collapses and water bursts in) involved approximately 90,000 gallons of water dumped at once.
“When released the water destroyed the set as this scene could only be done once, since the ornate set was completely destroyed by the rush of water.
“James Cameron himself confirmed in interviews that the Grand Staircase flood was one of the most dangerous and intense scenes they filmed… and it was shot in one take.”
The foundation continued: “In key scenes, water was released through large valves (like sluice gates) with tens of thousands of gallons at once crashing into sets and actors.
“For most of the major water scenes in Titanic, the actors were told in advance (especially for the big, dangerous ones like the Grand Staircase flood). However, James Cameron had a reputation for pushing boundaries, and some actors have said they weren’t always fully prepared for the intensity or volume of the water – even if they technically knew it was coming.”
In the comments section, people were keen to share their thoughts. One person said: “Having the actors aware water was coming but not just how intense it would be is probably the way many people during the actual sinking figured it. So it generated genuine reactions…vital if you only have one take.”
Another said: “Those screams may have been sincere!!”
A third shared: “I remember seeing this in theaters the first time, the moment the glass dome broke my drink spilled in my lap, I quickly jumped.”
Someone else commented: “Well it’s a good thing they have someone with dive gear on, I can nearly guarantee he was needed. Just watching that scene is terrifying.”
And another added: “That’s intense.”
