Review of Jaws (1975) by Samuel K — 29 May 2017

Jaws is one of the most terrifying monster movies ever made, yet it has less than 10 minutes of the monster on screen. The shark is not the monster, it is the ingenious music and the tense atmosphere that cause us to dread the creature. However, the shark itself is not even a looming threat until the second half of the film, as the first half and even a majority of the second half are dedicated to the characters. That is why this film holds up even 42 years later, because Spielberg knew to create memorable, likable, interesting characters that hold our attention when the shark is not devouring helpless people. He knew to use the shark sparingly, he knew to turn the shark into an entity with John williams brilliant score, he knew to make every kill different and every scare unique. Spielberg knew that gore and a cool monster wouldn't make a great film, he used the subtlety of a film like Haunted House with the tone/feel of a modern day summer film to create a truly unique and wonderful movie.

The shark is not scary, it's not a very creative design nor does the animatronic look very realistic, but Jaws is terrifying. We almost always see the shark with a point of view shot, giving us a sense of helplessness as we see move through a sea of legs and close in on it's prey. We know what will happen, yet we can only dread the inevitable as the camera cruelly and slowly moves to its target. The music builds up slowly, gradually, going from creating ominous dread to heart-pounding terror right before the kill. Another thing that makes the shark terrifying when it is on screen is the fact that every scare is done in a different way. Unlike a Friday the 13th film or Elm street sequel, where every kill is just an over the top gore fest, every time someone dies it is different. For example, when the teenage girl gets attacked to the shark, we our are cruelly subjected to see almost every minute of her death, hearing every scream and cry, paralyzing us with fear. Yet the Kittner boy's death is completely different, we merely see the mass of blood in the water, and the bitten life raft, making this death more shocking than letting the tragedy come in when The mother calls out for her son in vain. The different methods Spielberg employes to make the shark scary prevents the creature from becoming predictable, keeping the audience on it's toes. However, we are never bored when the shark is off screen, as the main characters are some of the best in blockbuster history.

The writers of this film knew that having a scary monster is not enough to engage an audience or make a film last, so it seems they dedicated more time in making these characters interesting, memorable, likable, and relatable. They succeeded, as years latter we still quote Quint, Hooper, and Martin Brody and even remember the some of the side characters like Ellen and the Mayor. I think what separates these characters from the Jurassic Park-esque stock characters (which can be entertaining in their own right) is that cast is not overly large. We only have 3 main characters in Jaws and primarily follow one, as opposed to something like Lost World, Which starts with out with 5 main characters. Because of the relatively small cast, our main trio get much more focus and are able to be fleshed out in a more natural way. There are no long, Shyamalan style expostion monologues explaining the characters to us, we simply watch the characters. We are introduced to Brody by seeing his family life and average routine, We see Hooper mocking the shark hunters and how he does his job, and we gradually see Quint go from unhinged sailor to insane hunter. The film lets us grow attached to these characters, allows the audience to form a connection with them, become invested in them. Brody, Hooper, and Quint personality feel organic and fresh, allowing from some fun and interesting interactions. My favorite is the relationship between Quint and Hooper, as their polar opposite personalities bounce off each other in some brilliant scenes. Quint's rough, old fashioned, and violent personality clashes with both Hooper's jumpy, sarcastic persona and reserved and scientific approach. Yet despite their passionate arguments, Hooper seems to have a desire to prove himself to Quint or best him. This perfectly exemplified when Quint crushes and empty can, and Hooper crushes a plastic cup in response. You could show someone this scene and they would instantly get an idea of what these characters are like and how they work off each other. Brody, Hooper, and Quint are the reason why Jaws is a great film, they are the reason we watch this film over and over again. When they are not on screen, the hybrid of slow cinematography and intense music known the characters refer to as a shark keep on the edge of our seats. This is why Jaws is the greatest horror film ever made, one of the greatest blockbusters ever made, and a cinematic masterpiece.