The Soft Capstan

For a film of this scale, Cameron used a surprising amount of practical effects. Most of the closeup shots are done in this way to ensure that the film stood up in the future, as it does now, 20 years later. There are some issues that are noticeable, however, when you look closely at the film. One of the most noticeable goofs is seen in a capstan, one of the revolving cylinders used to wind rope or cable. When the ship tilts vertically prior to going under, we get a closeup of a passenger hitting one of these massive capstans. For obvious safety reasons, these weren’t metal on set as they would be in real life. Instead, they appear to be foam, as we can see the thing crinkle and wrinkle as it’s hit.