12/31/97: "You jump, I jump." vs. "I love you."

By: Vinylman

Following are my responses to Lenin, Gordon, Tick, and Clancy regarding Jack not saying: "I love you." to Rose. The more I think about it, the more I want them read by everyone.

I couldn't agree with all of you more. But.....Jack did say I love you to Rose: "You jump, I jump!"

This simple statement is far more eloquent, personal, intimate, emotional, etc., etc., etc., than "I love you" could ever hope for. When Rose jumps from the lifeboat back to the ship, reunites with Jack, he asks why? Her response: "You jump, I jump!" Given what was going on, what they were facing, "you jump, I jump!" speaks of their committment to, and for, each other. To Rose and Jack, it clearly defines their place in the other's universe.

It is said, that the Eskimos have one dozen singular, distinct nouns for snow. By the word used, you would know the type, quality, and, most importantly potential hazard, of the snow falling outside. We use one word: snow.

I love you. I love my car. I love my job. I love my dog. I love my niece. The same phrase being used to communicate different emotions and levels of emotion to different people and subjects. The phrase, "I love you" has been used and overused so carelessly in the movies as well as real life, that it has, in my opinion, become a trite phrase.

But "You jump, I jump!" says it all.....in a manner that Rose and jack will always understand, private and unique to themselves, which no casual listener would ever understand. However, unless carefully copyrighted by Cameron, "You jump, I jump" will be misused and abused by the media, advertising, etc. This would be unfortunate.

As I've stated elsewhere in this forum, the third I watched this movie, the couples' actions were telling. One or both were crying. In the seats, aisles, lobby, outside, you could hear "You jump, I jump!" over and over.....stated as an affirmation to each other. (There was the occasional idiot, but very infrequent.) There was also "I jump, you'll jump?", stated as a pointed question to the significant other. As I stated elsewhere, Titantic will trash relationships that need to be.

For me, a romantic/mid-40's cynic, the phrase: "You jump, I jump!" has become special; it is locked away in my heart, reserved for that special someone and only that someone. And she doesn't have to look anything like Kate Winslet.

But after I posted, a few more thoughts came to mind. They follow:

Jack Dawson associated the phrase, "I love you." with death -- perhaps because of his parents' death perhaps with what he saw on the road. We'll never know; afterall, we're dealing with fiction here. On the raft, when Rose began to say "I love you." to Jack, he stopped her with this statement: "Rose, you're not going to die!" Jack expected both of them to live through this; he affirmed life -- that pure, intrinsic joy that comes from simply living -- with his life.

But what do I know? Speaking "I love you" to each other would not have hurt the scene on the raft. If stated, it would have pushed a large portion of the audience into uncontrolled tears. You could hear the muffled tears and the efforts to hold them back.

Now. Here's where I'll break my own rule and play monday-morning director. In the last scene, where Jack and Rose meet again in the presence of their friends -- and the crew/passengers who died innocently or honorably with grace, dignity, and nobility -- I would have wanted them to mouth the phrase -- no audible, but clearly stated so that we would understand: "You jump, I jump." Then kiss each other. Just thinking about it brings a lump to my throat.

But then I'm just a mid-40's cynic.....or a romantic.

A most happy new year and, most importantly, an excellent '98 for all of you. And, stated with all sincerity, for '98, may you truly find your Jack Dawson or you Rose DeWitt Bukater.

Vinylman