Jaws: An Experience

Anybody who reads this page on a regular basis will surely know these two facts: Jaws is my hands-down favorite film of all time, and it's the film I consider to be the greatest ever created. Now, I've gone back and forth on that latter statement - Hitchcock's Psycho and Curtiz's Casablanca give it a run for its money - but the more I watch Jaws, the more I'm convinced that it deserves that top honor. I have grown up watching the film over and over again, and it's the one movie that, if caught on TV, I will drop what I'm doing to give it yet another view.

The one thing I've always wanted to do, however, was see the film on the big screen. Having been born thirteen years after the film's initial theatrical release, I never had many chances to do just that. I'd hear about screenings here and there, but they were always out of my locale and driving range, and so, I'd sadly sit back and think about what might have been. Seeing Jaws in a movie theater became one of my life's goals. There seemed something grand about the idea, and I wanted to have the chance to see the film as so many did back in 1975. My dad always used to recount tales to me about seeing Jaws during its initial theatrical run, and he would tell me about how terrifying it actually was. I simply had to have the experience for myself.

Along comes this little company called Cinemark who, in honor of the one-hundredth anniversary of the founding of Universal Studios, has chosen to "re-release" a number of classic Universal films for one night only over the course of the next month or so, and they started tonight with Jaws. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance as soon as I saw that a theater only eight miles away would be playing it. I was so excited that I actually bought my ticket before realizing I had been scheduled to work at my outside job tonight, but I quickly scrambled to switch shifts around. Finally, I had the night free, my ticket bought, and my spirit jumping for joy. (Im)patiently, I waited the week until I had the chance to see the flick. That night was tonight.

Before I get into the specifics of my viewing experience, I want to talk a little about what the film means to me. As I previously stated, I grew up watching the film, and from an early age, I can remember being drawn to its simple story of man versus nature. Looking back, I can honestly say I didn't really understand the movie as a child and adolescent, nor do I remember the film as a whole. The only parts I remember were the ocean sequences where we saw Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and Captain Quint (Robert Shaw) battling the massive shark one-on-one. I have no early recollections of the first half of the film where we delve into small town politics and a number of other themes and ideas. Rather, I just remember the film as being man versus shark, and for a young boy with an insatiable appetite for action and suspense, that was all I really needed.

It wasn't until my late adolescence and young adulthood that I started to view Jaws in a very different light. As it was always one of my personal favorite films, I always had a copy of it readily on hand for whenever I felt the need to give it another go. I started to see the brilliance of the film, and considering how difficult it was to bring it to life, I started to garner quite a bit of respect not only for the film as an entity but also for the cast and crew, helmed by a young Steven Spielberg. On the surface, the film presents a very simple storyline of man against beast, but with all of the politics behind the decision-making, there's so much more going on in the film than meets the eye. It's a brilliant film that almost didn't make it to the cutting room floor, but for whatever reason, Spielberg managed to pick up the pieces and bring it all together, making one of the most memorable and influential films in cinematic history.

Fast forward to today, and I'm getting myself ready to head out to the theater. I'm leaving extra early in order to alleviate any possible traffic or parking issues I might hit. Dressed in my light blue Amity Island shirt (compliments of my awesome girlfriend), I set out for the theater and made it there with plenty of time to spare. To create my full experience, I ordered both a large popcorn and a large soda so that I could fully enjoy the world's first-ever "blockbuster."

I have to admit to this: as the opening credits started to roll, I turned into a bit of a blubbering fool. After so many years of waiting and wondering whether I would ever have the chance to see Jaws in a movie theater, my wish was finally coming true, and I simply couldn't hold in my emotion. Surrounded by a nearly sold-out theater of equally-interested enthusiasts, I settled in for what would be the most fulfilling movie-going experience I have ever had.

From the very outset I could tell I was in for quite an evening. While seeing the film for the (note: estimation) one-hundredth time wasn't going to bring forth any real changes in my view of the film. What was really surprising, however, was the audience reaction. As I said, the theater was mostly-filled, with probably around two-hundred occupants (none of whom left during the film's entirety, by the way). It was the way the audience reacted to the film that made this evening such an enjoyable experience.

Now, back in 1975, Jaws scared the crap out of people. It kept people out of the ocean for years, to the point where you could go to the beach and see hundreds of people sitting along the shore, but none of them would dare venture into the water. By today's standards, Jaws really isn't the scariest of flicks, but there are a few moments of suspense and jump-out-of-your-seat thrills there for your enjoyment. And let me tell you: there was plenty a scream in the theater tonight. Another interesting point is that I'd forgotten just how funny the film is. The audience was roaring with laughter at all the right places, and that made for even more entertainment. But what really got to me was the reverence that the crowd showed to the final act, starting with Quint's monologue about the U.S.S. Indianapolis. Just before that point, we were laughing as he and Hooper compared tattoos, but as soon as Robert Shaw delved into the haunting story, the theater went silent. And from that point, the audience was hooked into the action, all the way to the finish. And yes, the film got a stirring round of applause as the final credits started to roll. It was utterly beautiful. I shed another tear or two as I, along with the rest of the audience, sat through the credits in their entirety.

I had always known that Jaws had an incredible amount of staying power, but tonight's screening proved to me just how strong that power is. People still love this film just as much as I do, and they're passing it onto their children and their children's children. I saw a number of families out tonight, and I couldn't be happier that the film is being introduced to today's generation. It's a film that needs to be seen by all, and I just hope that newer audiences will love it as much as I do. I know that it's definitely a bit dated, but it's still one of - if not "the" - greatest film ever put on the silver screen. I'm just so glad that I finally had the chance to see my favorite film in the grandest way possible. And as for the continuation of its staying power, Jaws need only look at one of its final lines, uttered by Dreyfuss's Hooper:

Keep kicking.

Movie Review: JAWS

JAWS

1975

PG

"Come on into the water!"
-- Chrissie Watkins

Jaws is a 1975 action thriller directed by Steven Spielberg that has become one of the most beloved films in American cinema history. When the half-eaten remains of a young girl are washed onto a beach in Amity Island, Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) attempts to close the beaches just before the Fourth of July holiday. He is immediately met with resistance from some of the town's political leaders, including Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton), who tries to explain to Brody that Amity's very livelihood is reliant on the income it will receive over the holiday weekend. Reluctantly, Brody allows the beaches to remain open, only to see a young boy killed by the same shark in broad daylight. The town goes into a panic, and through another series of attacks, the police chief is able to convince Vaughn that outside help is necessary to defeat the beast. He enlists the help of a young scientist named Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) from the Oceanographic Institute as well as a local grizzled shark hunter named Quint (Robert Shaw) to captain their vessel. The rag-tag trio sets out onto the horizon in search of the massive shark that has terrorized the entire community.

I chose to write about Jaws as my first "Must-See Monday" post for a few reasons. First, I thought the timing with the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Discovery Channel's Shark Week was too good an opportunity to pass. Secondly, I have never held back my personal love for this particular film. I have always commended it both for its cinematic integrity as well as its social relevance and its importance to film history as a whole. It is easily my favorite film, and it's one that I can watch over and over and still find entertaining from start to finish.

There's a number of facets working together in this film that elevate it to such a lofty standing in my book. For starters, we have a fantastic screenplay that delves into more than the casual viewer will realize. The film is based off Peter Benchley's 1973 novel of the same name, but as with many book-to-film adaptations, the two have very stark differences. What's unique in this particular example, however, is that the film version of Jaws is the only movie I have ever seen that I believe surpasses its source novel. Now don't get me wrong: I have read and own the novel on a number of occasions, and I think it is a fantastic literary endeavor. However, there are a number of storylines in the book that cause it to get weighed down just a tad, and I think the film's writers were able to get to the meat of the story and stick to that throughout.

What the audience gets is a tense thriller that works in two "acts," so to speak. In the first act, Brody has two key antagonists: the shark, and the politicians trying to keep him from protecting the community. While the main continuous strain comes from the mayor and his cronies, and we only see the film's true terror surface now and then, we as the audience know who the true villain is. Once the politicians reach a breaking point, the film shifts into the second act, where things become a bit more clear-cut. Now, we have man versus shark, and it's this struggle that proves to be the most memorable as well as the most effective.

Through the first act, we get to good sense as to the characteristics of each individual on-screen. While the story moves along at a relatively steady pace, we have the opportunity to learn the good and the bad of each character. Character development isn't necessarily something that most people are going to talk about when it comes to this movie, but I think a lot has to be said both for the screenplay as well as the stellar cast who manages to bring forth spot-on performances. The trio of Scheider, Shaw and Dreyfuss proves to be one of the most enigmatic groupings of characters I've ever seen on-screen at one time, and they all manage to play off each other well. I do have to say that this might be Robert Shaw's greatest film role, and his monologue about the U.S.S. Indianapolis is easily one of the most haunting scenes ever devoted to celluloid. Add a slew of great smaller performances (i.e., Hamilton and Lorraine Gary), and you've got quite a cast.

At the end of the day, however, the film's best character has to be the shark itself, and yet, we as the audience don't actually see it until about halfway through the film. Spielberg had a hell of a time getting this movie made, and a huge part of the problem was the mechanical shark they wanted to use to bring the menace to life. As most film fans will know, the shark barely ever worked properly, so a number of other methods were crafted in order to keep the filming process in the works. There's a very clever use of sleight of hand throughout the film. Spielberg used tricky camera shots that allowed for the idea of the presence of the shark without there ever being a shark anywhere on-screen. In the first few attacks, we never actually see the shark, but the violence of the attacks may make the viewer think back and remember the shark anyway. The fact that we don't actually see the shark only makes the film all the more terrifying, and it always keeps the audience questioning when it will strike next.

Once the film reaches its second act, we see the mechanical shark do its work. By today's standards, it doesn't look like much, but back in 1975, the fact that they got this massive machine to work at all is utterly impressive. It benefits from the sleight-of-hand build-up it receives, and it makes it a little more believable as time goes by. In addition to the aforementioned techniques, some live stock footage of a real great white is used towards the end of the film, if only to give perspective as to just how large it was supposed to be.

The final piece that brought the shark to life was, in fact, the film's legendary cinematic score, brought forth by the brilliant John Williams. In the time where we do not see the shark, the ever-present sound of a tuba lets us know that something is coming, and in a way, the score makes for a character all its own. It's menacing and terrifying all at the same time, and there's a reason that it has remained such a classic score all these years later. Give it a listen here, if you'd like:

At the end of the day, however, there isn't much I can say about Jaws than has already been said by countless others. It is one of the defining films not only of the 1970s but also of cinematic history as a whole. I would challenge anyone to find a film that has had as much social impact as this venture, and even then, less than a handful could be named. The fact that even thirty-seven years later, Jaws is still entirely entertaining only helps prove that this is one of the greatest films of all time. It will always hold a special place in my heart.

Movie Review Summary

Grade: A+

Status: Must-See