With this weekend's release of The Meg, I knew I couldn't pass up the chance to review Jaws. It's a little late, but that's because I watched both Jaws and The Meg on Thursday night. I've also seen Eighth Grade and BlacKkKlansman in the last week, but haven't reviewed either yet because I was focused on preparing my 500th Blog Post. Also, since my youngest sister will be entering the eighth grade this year, I'd like to take her to see Eighth Grade before writing my review on it. Therefore, that review may not come till the tail-end of the weekend or early into next week depending on when I publish the other aforementioned reviews. Anyways, I'd also like to give my readers a heads-up that this may be my last Throwback Thursday Review for awhile. The reason being that the fall semester is about to start and I've decided to cut back on these types of reviews since I'll be even busier in the coming weeks.
'Jaws' Review
Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Original Score.
Won: Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Original Score.
In Jaws, an epic battle of man vs. nature ensues as a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer team up to hunt down a great white shark which is attacking beachgoers along the coast of Amity Island.
Based on Peter Benchley's 1974 novel of the same name, Jaws was steered by a rookie director named Steven Spielberg and written by Benchley and Carl Gottlieb. Believe it or not, but Spielberg had only directed a few features at the time of release. Back then, he mostly dabbled in the realms of shorts and television... But Jaws was the film where he truly made a name for himself, and rightfully so! Jaws was unprecedented in more ways than one, but it essentially invented the "summer blockbuster." Twenty three years later, and the summer's stacked with these event-type films. It's crazy to think that Steven Spielberg revolutionized the movie-going business at only twenty-seven years old...
Beyond changing the landscape of Hollywood though, Jaws has remained an iconic touchstone of pop culture. Regardless of whether you've seen the film or not, you're likely familiar with the classic line "you're gonna need a bigger boat" as well as John Williams' sensational score. Upon hearing "Da-dum... Da-dum... Da-dum-Da-dum-Da-dum," you may get even a little uneasy because you know danger is imminent. Well, you can send all your appreciation towards the music maestro John Williams for that! Music is an essential component of any film, and that's certainly the case with Jaws. While the entire score is masterful, it is perhaps Williams' shark theme which most effectively eases audiences into the ebb and flow of the film. As the shark gets nearer, the music intensifies. This is a constant throughout, so the viewer unconsciously begins to associate the ominous two-note theme with the imminent arrival of the great white. From that point on, you're involuntarily anxious anytime you hear the shark's specific score.
I'm pointing this out because the music makes up for the shark's conspicuous hour and a half long absence. Why, you ask? I'll get there, but hold your seahorses. Jaws infamously had a troubled production, with the three malfunctioning mechanical shark models chief among the problems that faced Spielberg. This lead to frequent rewrites in the midst of shooting at sea and a disgruntled morale amongst the cast and crew. The shark was named Bruce after Spielberg's lawyer, and it was ultimately decided the star shark would have minimal screen-time. It may seem like sacrilege, but it was a brilliant move in the long run for further drawing out the suspense. Spielberg instead relied on William's score, the technical filmmaking, and expressive reactions from the actors to sell Bruce's brutality. It's not till about an hour and twenty minutes in that the shark even emerges for a first full appearance. The reason this entrance is incredibly effective though is that there's absolutely no music leading up to it. Since viewers grew used to the preceding build-up of William's score, Bruce sneaks up on the audience just as he does to Brody. It's the ultimate earned jump-scare.
Another element which I adore about Jaws is Chief Brody's reasonable caution in determining a solution to the shark problem plaguing Amity Island. He reads up on Great Whites, enlists an expert, and all the while, critical exposition is conveyed through a mixture of visual means and dialogue. He doesn't rush into the deep waters to face the problem right away, but rather, ensures he has a rock-solid plan before committing to a confrontation. There are also additional layers of his dedication to his family rational fear of the sea which further ground him as a relatable protagonist.
Perhaps one of the best scenes in the film though is one in which the characters are simply sitting around talking about scars onboard the Orca. It's interesting conversation which further fleshes out the three individuals while adding a nice touch of humanity to ground the action at sea. It's also in the scene's best interest to have such talented performers as Roy Schneider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss at its disposal. As Brody, Hooper, and Quint, the three have a buoyant, lighthearted camaraderie with one another which perfectly tows the line between being believed as a newly formed friendship or footage of the actors simply hanging out with one another. Their performances coupled with the sharp script make it incredibly easy to become invested in the survival of these characters during the thrilling third act.
I'm sure you've heard it a million times before, but Jaws is just as gripping today as I'm sure it was forty-three years ago. It's an exercise in tension that's masterfully made and incredibly effective in every respect. Through Jaws, Steven Spielberg pioneered the "summer blockbuster" and jump-started his career as a filmmaker for the masses. All these years later, it's really no surprise that Jaws would still be floating around as one of Spielberg's finest films.
