Revisiting the magic of Titanic's 'I'm flying' scene reveals that the romance we saw on screen was far from the slick and seamless moment fans remember because of the endless issues on set.
- Jun 13, 2024
AceShowbiz - The "I'm flying" scene from "Titanic" is one of the most memorable moments in cinematic history. However, Kate Winslet, who played Rose in the film, shared that this iconic scene was much messier to film than fans might expect.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Winslet reflected on the difficulties she faced while shooting the romantic sequence where her character kisses Leonardo DiCaprio's Jack. "My God, he's quite the romancer, isn't he? No wonder every young girl in the world wanted to be kissed by Leonardo DiCaprio," Winslet quipped.
However, she added, "It was not all it's cracked up to be." One of the significant challenges was managing their makeup. Winslet explained, "We kept doing this kiss, and I have a lot of pale makeup on and I would have to do our makeup checks - me, on both of us, between takes - and I would end up looking as though I had been sucking a caramel chocolate bar after each take because his makeup would come off on me."
DiCaprio, on the other hand, appeared as if "there was a bit missing from his face" due to her residual makeup. "Oh God, it was such a mess," she concluded.
Besides makeup mishaps, the scene had other obstacles. Winslet recalled that the set was a sawn-off section of the ship that required climbing a ladder to reach, making it nearly inaccessible for the hair and makeup team.
"Hair and makeup couldn't reach us," she said. DiCaprio had to lie on sunbeds for a tan look, and there was a "lot of fake tan makeup going on," she revealed, adding, "I've got hidden in my corset his makeup and brushes and sponge, and my makeup and brushes and sponge in the other side, and between takes I was basically redoing our makeup."
The challenges did not end there. Winslet mentioned they had to reshoot the scene multiple times due to DiCaprio's incessant giggling as she struggled to breathe in her tight corset, and changing light conditions.
"Leo couldn't stop laughing, and we had to reshoot this about four times because [director James Cameron] wanted a very specific light for this, obviously, and the sunsets kept changing where we were," she revealed.
Despite the hardships, Titanic went on to win 11 Oscars, including Best Picture, and amassed over $2.2 billion worldwide. "I do feel very proud of it, because I feel that it is that film that just keeps giving," Winslet said.
Yet, she humorously confessed that people still ask her to reenact the famous scene whenever she boards a boat. "It does my head in," she joked, though she occasionally obliges fans' requests.
