The phrase “Just when it was safe to return in the water …'” is synonymous with Jaws. This review will focus on the original film. Jaws, released forty-fourth anniversary in 1975 and based upon a Peter Benchley book, was directed/produced by Steven Spielberg. Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss star in the film. Robert Shaw is also featured. The film’s story centers on Amity, a tourist town that is terrorized by the Great White Shark just before the Fourth of July festivities. The film is a horror movie, but it focuses mostly on Amity and its corrupt politics. Roy Scheider stars as Chief Brody. Murray Hamilton plays Murray Hamilton. Hamilton hopes to save the beaches for Fourth of July despite several grisly death. This movie has the unique ability to keep the audience on the edge, from the beginning to the end. You realize just how dangerous and high-stakes this film is after the tragic loss of a child. After much more bloodshed, it reinvents itself in its third and fourth acts.
I believe the film’s weakest and strongest parts are in the final half. Brody and Hooper his Oceanographic Assistant, played as Richard Dreyfuss. Brody set out on the sea to hunt the shark with Quint the eccentric shark hunter. Shaw plays Quint. This film’s second half shifts from the more sinister, tense feel of the previous part to become more like a story about an adventurous sailor. This section has the most savage and funny dialogue. It’s much easier for me to believe the film as a child, but the Great White Shark can sometimes seem distractingly unrealistic for viewers today. This film took a lot of time to make. I’m not going to lie, it was incredibly ambitious and hard work. Despite its inept special effects, the shark remains a frightening force to be faced with. The scene where Quint confesses he was aboard the USS Indianapolis is my favorite. This monologue sets Quint’s obsession about sharks perfectly and creates a tremendous sense of empathy for an otherwise eccentric and chaotic character. Although the film’s ending is a great success, it comes at a considerable cost. It is a film of great triumph but at a high price. As I have grown to love the art of filmmaking, my appreciation for the film has increased since childhood. The film industry is proud of what Steven Spielberg achieved despite the hardships. My desire to become a police officer can be traced back to when I was a child, watching the film and rooting in Chief Brody’s courage to face the beast. I highly recommend this film to anyone who hasn’t seen it. It’s a classic film and a wonderful horror film.
