New information about the maiden voyage of the Titanic has been revealed in a new National Geographic documentary, with one revelation completely changing a controversial scene in James Cameron’s 1997 movie.
First things first, this is not to criticize James Cameron. The Avatar filmmaker went to great lengths to research Titanic, so much so that he partook in 33 submersible dives to the ship’s wreck at the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean.
The film blended historical events and incredible visuals with a melodramatic love story between Rose (Kate Winslet) and Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio), all of which solidified its status as a classic and made it one of the highest-grossing movies of all time.
There’s a level of poetic licence when it comes to adapting a story of this significance for the big screen, but one scene that was drawn from real life has completely changed if these new findings are to be believed.
Titanic scans change major scene in James Cameron movie
Ever since the Titanic sank in 1912, First Officer William Murdoch has been accused of taking bribes and abandoning his post, and in Cameron’s movie he’s shown shooting passengers before turning the gun on himself.
However, as is revealed in the new docu-series Titanic: The Digital Resurrection, 3D scans suggest that Officer Murdoch actually died trying to help others escape.
The findings are a result of a huge research project whereby deep-sea scanning company Magellan used robots to capture 715,000 images of the shipwreck, which they used to create a 3D digital model.
One discovery is that the position of the lifeboat davit (a crane-like device) at Murdoch’s station was in the upright position, indicating that he was actively preparing to launch another lifeboat when the ship’s starboard side was engulfed.
These revelations not only exonerate Murdoch but also highlight the bravery and dedication of the crew during the disaster.
The reason he was depicted otherwise was due to eyewitnesses claiming they saw an unnamed officer shooting at passengers before turning the gun on himself, leading to the assumption it was Murdoch.
This was the version that was depicted in the movie, despite other witnesses suggesting it wasn’t the case. That included Second Officer Charles Lightoller, who claimed to see Murdoch at the top of the deckhouse before being swept away by the ocean.
Speaking about the new findings in the documentary, analyst Parks Stephenson says, “This davit is in the up position, meaning its crew is basically trying to get a lifeboat ready to be launched.
“This coincides with Second Officer Lightoller’s description. This davit right here stands in mute testimony that supports Lightoller’s version of events because being in the up position is exactly what Lightoller described.”
To learn more, Titanic: The Digital Resurrection airs on Friday, April 11, at 9/8c on National Geographic, before streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu. You can also check out the new movies coming to streaming this month, the films dropping in cinemas, and the best movies of 2025 so far.
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