Jaws

How many films could be regarded as the career kickstarter of one of the most famous directors ever, while simultaneously creating a blockbuster film? Spielberg’s Jaws focuses on police chief Martin Brody’s strife as a shark attack comes to light in Amity Island, the town where Brody is chief. With the film’s progression, we’re treated to the buildup of the great white’s attack and their frequency. In its final act, Jaw’s evolves a hunt rivaling that of Moby Dick complete with an Ahab-like character that brings the story to its conclusion.

The film, while famous for its achievements, is equally famous for the constant struggle in its production to be completed. The most famous of props, the shark, was unintentionally not working through the majority of production. However, the strength in the film’s elements overcomes these flaws to still deliver a high caliber thriller for the audience. The camera work in particular, mainly the underwater scenes, gives us the first person sense of dread as to the shark’s next victim while it explores Amity Island. It is here that tension’s rise with each scene, and the addition of John Williams’ score brings out the nerves of the viewer. The score is most likely the most famous and most effective aspect of the film itself. Williams uses cellos with explosive build up through the film’s theme. The composition mirrors the sense of dread felt by the ongoing shark attack, and in its exponential rising volume overwhelms the sense as were immersed in to character’s plight. One could argue that the lack of such a score would sacrifice what makes Jaws as original as it is. The writing explores the notion of Man vs. Nature. Though its premise is simple, the exploration of the characters during the attack and subsequently how it affects their lives brings a much more human story than one that the premise suggests.

What could’ve been a simple B-movie thriller under the direction of Steven Spielberg evolved into a much more engaging and rewarding experience to the film medium. Spielberg combines all these elements to effectively create something terrifying and immersive, to the point where its effects were felt outside of the cinema.