Trending
Last week in our June 20 edition, Design Editor Arianna McKee decided to include an interesting article which highlighted "Jaws" 50th Anniversary from The Associated Press, which showcased just how integral this film was to moviemaking.
When I read it, I realized that I'd never actually watched "Jaws" in its entirety.
As a child I knew enough about this movie and its killer shark to develop a healthy fear of the ocean... and perhaps some swimming pools where I couldn't see the bottom.
Add to that the fact I've seen so many scenes from this Steven Spielberg classic either recreated in pop culture or its original form somewhere, it's no wonder I feel I'd already seen it.
That night I decided I had to rectify this error. So I sat down and watched "Jaws" in its entirety.
This movie, directed by Spielberg -- one of his first feature films -- was based on a book by Peter Benchley and proved to be a monster of a film, both in its production and reception.
For those who don't know, "Jaws" takes place in the small island town of Amity in New England where local Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) is trying to protect its residents, and the many tourists that visit on the Fourth of July weekend, from a giant killer shark.
Brody is met with many speed bumps along the way, including Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) who doesn't want to scare away tourists so close to a major holiday.
Soon enough though, Brody along with oceanographer Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and weathered shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw) are forced to head into the ocean to hunt down the beast before it continues to kill.
This movie almost feels like it's split into two parts -- their time in Amity and time in the Atlantic ocean. Throughout it all though, you see just how terrified Brody is of the entire ordeal. You really feel for this character right from the moment the first body washes up on the beach.
Brody clearly wants nothing more than to protect the people of Amity, going as far as closing the beaches the second they find the potential shark attack, but is met with resistance along the way.
This resistance and push back ultimately leads to even more tragedy, which he shoulders even if I don't think he should.
There's something to be said, too, about the mayor's willingness to bury his head in the sand and open the beaches -- putting everyone at risk -- because he's worried about the town's bottom line. That is, of course, until this mistake comes back to bite him (not literally... unfortunately).
The ocean scenes were really some of my favorites. In a deep dive online, I learned that it wasn't necessarily supposed to be filmed the way it was.
Three mechanical sharks were created for this movie, each showcasing a different angle of the great white that was terrorizing Amity.
However, the large animatronics proved to be tricky to navigate in the open ocean (this was the first film to do that by the way!). So Spielberg chose a different approach -- to use the point of views of the shark and very rarely show the creature itself. Pair this with its iconic sound track and it's a recipe for something ominous and sinister.
Though it's a shame the hard work put into this proved to be a bit in vain, I found this method way more terrifying. It's partially why I was so afraid of a shark coming out to bite me even while in a pool.
Though the scenes with the shark on full display, with his razor sharp teeth and black, lifeless eyes certainly can raise the heart rate, there's something much more sinister and unsettling about a monster you can't see.
I do have to say, though this movie is fantastic and absolutely deserves its flowers, I can't help but feel bad for the shark population. They really did get a bad reputation from movies like "Jaws" and similar media that portrayed them as bloodthirsty killers. (Don't worry fellas, I know dolphins are actually far worse than you... their PR team just works overtime I guess.)
My sympathy for this species of marine life aside, "Jaws" really is an absolutely amazing movie.
It's score -- every iconic -- along with the use of practical effects (I can always count on Spielberg to not lean heavy on CGI), along with an interesting storyline really makes for a blockbuster movie... THE blockbuster movie in fact.
The marketing method and push for the movie in the summer created the blueprint for summer blockbusters that are still utilized today. Kudos to everyone involved in this movie for setting a standard, though many will fall short of meeting this movie's level of notoriety.
With the temperatures at an insane level this week, cool off a bit inside (with the AC) and watch a chilling movie like "Jaws" even if you've already seen it. It's a classic for a reason after all!
"Jaws" is rated PG and currently streaming on Peacock.
-- -- -- --
Laura Jameson is Managing Editor of The Express.