As it happens, I think the alternate ending was one of the crappiest of the deleted scenes. Oh, the ship still sinks. But it was Cameron's rather clever use of the McGuffin diamond "bookends" which allowed him to continue the story past the point where the Titanic falls beneath the waves and have a second ending about the diamond.



Meh.

Me likes the original ending far more.



But here's one of the other deleted scenes that I'm rather fond of - - - after the ship sinks, Rose clammors on top of a piece of flotsam floating wood paneling. There's no room for Jack. Why does he stay there and lazily die instead of swimming about in search of some other flotsam floatage? Well, the deleted scene answers that quite nicely - as he is forced to defend Rose from a male passenger who wants to use the wood float to save himself, and Rose be damned. Jack warns the interloper off with threat of death, and thereafter it becomes a bit more believeable for Jack to hang out submersed in the 28-degree water next to high and dry Rose.

Thanks for the tips iSM. Definitely will add this to the collection. Based on your descriptions, I look forward to this disc.

I always enjoyed this movie. I do not consider it deep or highly meaningful (for it is not). It is a simple love story wrapped around an historical drama. Cameron does one of the better jobs (IMO) of using SFX to add drama to a story line. It is pure and simple entertainment.

Kevy, who is that in your avatar and why don't I look like her?

I don't know. It is just some model who captivated me when I saw her photo (no model credits - just photog. And I don't remember where I saw this photo either).

And darlin' - she's got nothin' on you!

I always wondered about that aspect, too. Glad to know there's a transitional scene that was cut out. iSm, Thanks again for the wonderfully thorough DVD review! :)

I'm going to buy this director's cut DVD, but I have a feeling that someone will try to capitalize on this 1997 film again--two years from now for a 10th anniversary DVD.