Titanic is one of the greatest love stories depicted in modern cinema, but there are still some questions about Rose’s fate at the end of the film. Despite being released more than two decades ago, James Cameron’s Titanic continues to appeal to audiences of all ages. With the striking chemistry between Kate Winslet’s Rose and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jack, the tragic love story lives as one of Hollywood cinema’s most beloved romances.
In Titanic, 100-year-old Rose (Gloria Stuart) recounts her story to Brock Lovett and his wreckage crew after her nude drawing is discovered on their mission to find a large diamond, known as the Heart of the Ocean. Rose is able to appeal to the crew’s emotions with her heartfelt story, but she doesn’t tell them where the diamond is. The end of Titanic reveals that Rose had the diamond all along, but there is one uncertain event that the ending implies.
Titanic Hints That Rose Dies In The Final Scene
Titanic ends with Rose dropping the diamond into the ocean and then going to sleep, which is largely interpreted as her death. After the camera pans over her sleeping peacefully, Rose is transported back into the Titanic with Jack and everyone who died on the ship. She is also young as if she never left the ship and accepts Jack’s hand on the Titanic’s Grand Staircase. However, without any visual or audible cues, Rose’s dream sequence could be interpreted as just a dream.
Yet, even with the ambiguity of the ending, Titanic makes a point to show Rose reuniting with those who have died. The resolution of dropping the necklace, telling her story, and returning to the wreckage feels like a fitting resting place. After all, Rose is a hundred years old, and the pictures on her dresser show she lived a full, adventurous life. When the camera passes the pictures and then her face, it feels like a poignant moment, and then she joins those who died on the Titanic.
Rose Dying At The End Of Titanic Makes More Sense Than Sleeping
While it is likely that Rose could have a dream about the Titanic after talking at such length about it, Rose dying makes more sense thematically and logically. By the end of Titanic, Rose has visited the trauma of the shipwreck and let it go, which is shown symbolically when she drops the diamond in the ocean. She told her story and convinced the crew to stop searching for the diamond. The fascination with the Titanic may never die, but Rose has gotten Lovett to see the human element of the truly tragic event.
Another reason Rose dying makes sense is her old age. Rose may have seemed healthy recounting her story to the crew, but she was still a hundred years old. If Rose did just have a dream, she would still die in a few years, so it makes more sense to give the audience the catharsis of seeing her reunite with Jack. Hinting that Rose died peacefully in her sleep also means she won’t die a painful death in her old age.
