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| Jaws |
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  (9/10)
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Runtime: 124 |
| Public Rating: 8.88 (65 votes) |
Director: Steven Spielberg |
MPAA Rating:  |
| Genre: Horror |
Year: 1975 |
| Writer(s): Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb |
| Reviewed by: Goatdog |
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"Jaws" was one of the rare films that appealed to critics and audiences alike. Released in 1975, it was Steven Spielberg’s second feature film. It centers on the efforts of a police chief of an Atlantic vacation spot (Roy Scheider) to convince a city council more interested in tourism than the safety of their beaches that the deaths that have plagued the town are the work of a shark. He enlists the help of a shark expert (Richard Dreyfuss) and an experienced shark hunter (Robert Shaw), and the trio set out into the ocean to destroy the killer shark.
The focus of the film is on the suspense of the situation. While the characters are moderately well drawn, and the dialog is adequate, both elements are used primarily to enhance the suspense. The technique of not showing the shark until the last quarter of the movie, relying instead on hints, glimpses, and shots of the shark’s handiwork, makes the killer shark even more terrifying than if we had seen it from the start. The plot is a vehicle by which the protagonists end up stranded miles from shore for the ultimate showdown with the shark.
As far as the plot goes, it does tell an interesting story. We identify with Brody, whose fear of the water puts him in an even more dramatic situation when he must go aboard the Orca to confront the shark and his fears. There are remarkable subtleties; such as when Quint and Hooper are comparing scars, and Brody self-consciously raises his shirt to reveal a terrible scar to the audience, but not to the other two. This action speaks volumes, and a verbal explanation of how he got it would reduce the dramatic effect. Spielberg’s motto on this film must have been “less is more.” Less shark and less explanation means more suspense.
The setting of the film is of the utmost importance. The first half, which deals with the shark’s attacks close to shore, emphasize that even the proximity of human habitation and shallow water can not protect the characters from the unknowable shark. In the second half, when the three heroes sail out in search of the shark, the emphasis is on open space—the setting emphasizes how cut-off they are from civilization.
The cinematography added to the suspense. Spielberg and cinematographer Bill Butler shot much of the film from right above the water line, which is the point of view of someone treading water. While on the Orca, the shots use the wide expanse of sea and sky as an imposing background—in a way, the focus is on the isolation instead of the characters. The film also uses some brilliant framing techniques. My favorite was at the beginning of the Orca’s trip out to sea. The shot shows the Orca sailing away, getting smaller, from the point of view of someone inside the shop where Quint kept his souvenirs. Framing the shot is a huge set of shark jaws that seem to consume the ship as it sails away.
John Williams’ score added infinitely to the suspense. No one can forget the heartbeart-like pulsing of the main theme, which is used cunningly. At first, before we see the shark (as in Chrissie’s death at the beginning), the theme alerts the audience (but not the characters) to the presence of the shark. Toward the middle, when hysteria has overtaken the town, the absence of music tells the audience that, for example, the shark fin that appears in the water, manned by two young divers, is in fact a hoax. The audience knows that the frightened crowd is afraid of the wrong thing. Toward the end of the film, the music adds to the suspense by lulling the audience into a false sense of security. When Hooper is preparing to enter the shark cage, the music insistently tells the audience that something bad is going to happen, but it stops when the cage enters the water. We think that everything is ok, until the shark, without musical accompaniment, slams into the side of the cage, eliciting a jump from the viewers.
The film is “about” our fear of the unknown, or the unknowable. The film places emphasis, through Brody’s research and Hooper’s expertise, that the shark is a mysterious creature that humans, despite their “science,” know little about. I would draw a comparison between this film and the western genre, with water and a shark replacing uncharted wilderness and hostile natives. The film tells us that, despite all the trappings of science and emphasis on logic and understanding, some things don’t function based on our rules.
I loved the film more this time than I had the first time I watched it, when I was around ten and my parents allowed me to stay up and watch the late night movie. It scared the heck out of me then, but I think I appreciated it more this time. Instead of being frightened (which, I must admit, I still was a little), I was able to see an expert example of how to use film to evoke terror. I think the film was a textbook example of what good horror can be.
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