Jaws

Jaws.

A man eating shark is terrorising the holiday island of Amity. Police chief Martin Brody, shark hunter Quint and marine biologist Matt Hooper set sail in the hope of killing the great white monster.

Jaws is responsible for many things, it's responsible for propelling director Steven Spielberg's career into the stratosphere, it was responsible for a downturn in the package holiday trade, and it was responsible for shaping the summer blockbuster release practice's. There are many other things which one doesn't need to bore you with, it's just true to say that Jaws is firmly ensconced in movie history, if one hasn't seen it then one surely knows about it, it is, even today, part of popular culture.

But is it any good? Is it worthy of a long standing reputation as one of the greatest monster movies of all time? Hell yes it is, one or two easily overlooked flaws aside, it busted the box office (world wide) and tapped into a primal fear that resides in the majority of mankind, the unseen that resides in the sea.

Jaws sets out its marker right from the start with a truly shocking and attention grabbing opening sequence, from then on in Spielberg (learning from Hitchcock for sure) tweaks the tension to have the audience living on their nerves, even as character building (by way of Brody's family arc) sedates the pace, we just know that it's all relative to an extension of fear and terror that is around the next corner. After the first victims' remains are found, Brody glances out at the ocean, Spielberg perfectly framing the shot to say so much about what we are about to be witness' to. Jolts and shocks pop up from time to time to help build the unease, whilst Spielberg makes the audience wait before we even see what it is that so coldly and efficiently destroys man. Then it's the claustrophobic switch as our brave protagonists are out at sea on Quint's boat, unaware that the giant menace is now hunting them, eyes as black as death itself.

So many great...

Is it safe to go back in the water? ...

Steven Spielberg got ahold of the incredible Peter Benchley-penned novel about a giant, carnivorous Great White (dubbed "Jaws") who swims the ocean waters off a fictional resort town, preying on both the Island's locals and its visitors alike, and adaptated, for the silver screen, what would become one of the most terrifying American made thrillers to ever be released in the worldwide cinema. Exceptional filmmaking! And members of Spielberg's crew had the nerve to maliciously "mock" Jaws, by referring to it as "Flaws", during the filming process? All because of a few "glitches" in the mechanical shark? Ha! Who's laughing now?

Great screenwriting by Benchley and Gottlieb. Great composition by the legendary John Williams. Great direction by Spielberg. Phenomenal performances by Scheider, Shaw, and Dreyfuss. Great supporting cast. Just...magnificent. Jaws is a magnificent film. A true classic.

Much like the shark itself, the movie starts slowly, deep down in the depths before coming to the surface to explode in pure sensationalism.

Jaws is one of those rare exceptions where high-brow art meets fun entertainment. At the time of its making, however, simply keeping its head above water was the most the cast and crew were hoping for.

But Spielberg had created something special. During production, no one saw it--I'm not sure Spielberg himself saw it, but it was there. I think it was really editor Verna Fields who saw it and put it together.

Jaws begins the way most primal fears begin: someone is alone, in the dark, in an alien environment, and is being attacked from some unknown entity. People remark today how Jaws worked so well, that it's kept them afraid of the ocean for years. I disagree. I think it's because we are scared of the ocean is why Jaws works so well. The opening scene of the young girl being savaged in the black nothingness that is the night ocean is terrifying because it preys on primal fears; it doesn't create them.

Next we're introduced to our cast of characters: There's Police Chief Martin Brody--an everyman with a fear of the water--and his wife, Ellen. There's Brody's loyal deputy Len Hendricks (mysteriously named "Jeff" in the sequel). Then, of course, there's the other side. There is the crooked mayor Larry Vaughan, and his two toadies newspaper editor Harry Meadows and coroner Carl Santos. After Brody and Hendricks find evidence of a hungry shark off the coast of the resort town of Amity, they do the sensible thing and start closing up the beaches. The mayor, seeing dwindling dollar signs, convinces Meadows and Santos to back him, and together they confront Brody and put the kibosh on his beach closing plan.

In an era where the primitive special effects technology gave us a shark that looked like a pool toy, it became essential that the shark not be the focal point of the film. And while a fin here and a barrel there do...

Solid shark-thriller that still holds up well with each subsequent viewings. Love the cast especially Robert Shaw and was entertained even during some of the slower moments. Not a favorite of mine or amongst Spielberg's resume, but a lot of fun. 4.25/5

A very good, and evidently a very influential, film from 1975.

That release year doesn't even sound correct, the film holds up extremely well in that regard - I knew already, but if I didn't and I had guessed the year I wouldn't have said anything earlier than 1990. This alone raises the film up ½* for me - it's impressively made.

I don't, personally, think the story is as perfect as the aforementioned. Don't get me wrong it's all entertaining, but I feel it peaks with the shark terrorising the town as a whole - when it's down to just the trio, I didn't enjoy it quite as much. Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss do give notable performances, though.

Going back to my initial point, the effects for the shark are incredible. I kinda wanted to simply see more of just the shark, even if we do get more of the great white towards the conclusion. Heck, the film from the shark's prospective would've been 5*. Lastly, that John Williams score is sensational - I think every film fan, whether they've seen it or not, knows that famous theme.

Almost 47 years after its release, I've finally seen 'Jaws'. I don't honestly think the story/the characters itself are anything out of this world, but there's so much to admire and praise from a technical aspect. A marvel, really.

I saw this recently on the big screen for the first time since I originally went as a child in 1975 and if anything, it has got better. John Williams' score and Robert Shaw's "Quint" combine to far outweigh the "rubber" shark scenes. Unlike "The Meg" this film conveys a real sense of tension; coupled with some good old-fashioned scariness. It also dips it's toe into the science and behaviour of an apex predator, which we may consider ourselves to be. Take away our technical accoutrement and we are clearly the minnows...

This is one of my favourite films ever and I've loved it since I was a child, everything from John Williams iconic shark theme to the chilling opening scene. Jaws is nothing short of a cinematic masterpiece.

Neat. It scared me a little bit but I held on tight. And the thing is it's a shark! Not a robot! 735/1000.

Jaws is more than just a shark movie, it’s a masterclass in suspense and storytelling. Steven Spielberg turns a simple premise into an unforgettable cinematic experience, using tension and suggestion rather than relying on constant visuals of the shark. My favorite movie of all!