Fifty Years of Fear: A Treatise on the Glory of Jaws
Jaws is my all-time favorite movie.
Many would assume a Star War is, and certainly Empire Strikes Back is number two, but Jaws is and has been my favorite movie for as long as I can remember, despite my fear of sharks, generated, of course, by…Jaws.
I probably saw Jaws for the first time sometime near its release. My dad was a film buff, and we’d see movies together all the time. It’s my favorite thing about childhood. It wasn’t until high school that I started to become obsessed with movies, and Jaws emerged as my supreme favorite.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the book by Peter Benchley, Jaws is a horror story at its core, but it’s also a story about family, friendship, courage, and trauma. It’s also a still-relevant reflection of national politics through the lens of hyper-local politics. And finally, it’s a fun adventure.
Jaws came early in Spielberg’s career; he was 28 when he made it, and it delivered on the promise of his first made-for-TV film, Duel, while establishing his signature directing hallmarks. Steven Spielberg’s directing style is one of the most recognizable and influential in cinema. His work spans genres, but there are consistent visual, thematic, and narrative elements that define his signature approach. Here are some of the key hallmarks: The Hallmarks of Spielberg.
Jaws was unique in that Bruce, the mechanical beast built to play the shark, was famously unreliable. Since it didn’t always work as they wanted, they had to pivot to use, music, tone, shadows, and other filmmaking techniques to amp up the horror. This, of course, worked to the movie’s favor, making a far more terrifying experience.
Of course, there are times when we HAVE to see the shark, and fortunately, when it worked, it worked well enough to be terrifying, graphic, and an outstanding practical effect. The difference between the first kill that opens the movie and the climactic battle is a worthy payoff. After hours of pulling tension, we come to a breaking point when Jaws graphically kills Quint.
The genius of Jaws and Spielberg is not just in the spectacle of it all, but also in the quiet, lingering moments. A quiet moment between Brody and his son at the dinner table. A tearful goodbye between Ellen and Brody at the dock. Gone is the sordid affair between Hooper and Ellen from the book, and I think the movie is stronger for it.
The movie is the perfect way to celebrate July 4th. The shark attacks come at the worst time for the small vacation town of Amity. Amity, which means friendship, relies on summer dollars. And vicious shark attacks are not good for business. Mayor Vaughn, frighteningly relevant in his politicking, wants to downplay the attacks and keep the beaches open. Brody, the town’s new sheriff with a fear of water (drowning), wants to protect the population. This puts the two at odds as the attacks escalate and the fear intensifies. Brody brings in Hooper, a rich oceanic expert and shark fanatic, to help solve the case.
Ultimately, the town puts a bounty on the shark, and a crowd of experienced and inexperienced fishermen causes chaos in the water as they hunt Jaws. Quint, the local beer-drinking, gruff, stereotypical fisherman, is ready to find and kill the shark…for the right price.
Ultimately, we’re off on an adventure with our three heroes as they embark on the Orca to find and kill Amity’s public enemy number one. There are numerous exciting action scenes and quotable moments from this excursion, including male bonding and character development, that bring these three very different men together in a common cause.
I’ve watched this movie hundreds of times. I can quote it easily and know everything that is going to happen before it happens, but I’m still 50 years later on the edge of my seat the entire time. I KNOW when Jaws is going to pop out of the water, but I jump every time. I KNOW Brody is going to kill Jaws, but I’m always rooting for him every single time.
Jaws influenced film so much. And filmmakers I love. Seen Mallrats? It’s a love letter to Jaws. Jurassic Park, The Meg, Anaconda? The masterwork influenced all.
Jaws is cinematic perfection. The first blockbuster, which set the standard for the next 50 summers. It changed the way we think of sharks and how we approach vacation. It changed the way movies were made. And yes, it spawned some really exceptionally bad sequels. But Jaws stands tall, it looks great still, and has relevant themes 50 years later.
