Review of Jaws (1975) by Sagaciousfrank . — 05 Dec 2016

'Jaws' is a classic example of a masterpiece in cinematic movie making. I watched it on the remastered Blu-ray edition today for the first time since I last watched it probably 15 years ago either on VHS or DVD. It's a film I've so rarely seen that I'd almost forgot the main and finer details and indeed the plot developments which happen over the entire course of its 2 hour run time. I'd forgotten who the sharks victim's were and how the film ended. In fact, I almost completely forgotten the last third of the film until today.

For some films, time does not treat them well, and there are certain 'classics' ('Once Upon a Time in America'/'The Deer Hunter' to name two) which are not particularly good. I feared this would this would be the case with Jaws, especially as I could barely remember any of it, indicating that my viewing of it was a forgettable experience. Well, that assumption couldn't have been further from the truth. The direction and cinematography are (still) outstanding, the story is paced nicely provided a few jumps and plenty of tension and suspense along the way. The acting is solid from all the cast, and the main protagonists are all likeable and memorable in their own (often midly quirky) way. Clearly I wasn't paying attention when I watched 'Jaws' all those years ago! I was also surprised to learn just how good the effects and the formidable shark have stood the test of time.

Of further note, the remastered Blu-ray is probably one of the best I've had the pleasure to experience. Spielberg and Co. were on the board for this remaster, and it clearly shows. The picture quality, and all that entails, is superb for a film of this age, but what utterly stunned me was just how well they remixed and remaster the audio. Due to the fact that this film was produced and released (1975) in the 70's, it's hardly surprising that the original track was produced in mono. The Blu-ray remix and remaster is now in 7.1, but this is probably the only remix of a film of this age that works this well, at least on my experience. Most of the remix is largely front heavy (with the exception of the superb musical score) but it provides excellent and natural spacing. But there are also occasional (when the scenes call for it) nicely placed discrete effects that really brings the viewer into the scene. The dialogue is also super clear but not tinny or abrasive like some dialogue recording of a similar era. Quite simply, like the film itself, this is a remaster that defies the test of time and sounds much more modern than it is. 5/5.