Jaws

I saw this movie again after a few decades. There are a lot of movies from past eras that don't hold up over time, but this one does. It's just as suspenseful as it was in 1975. But the best reason to watch it is Robert Shaw's performance. You hardly ever see those type of personalities in movies anymore.

Jaws (1975) **** (out of 4)

Steven Spielberg's classic about a man-eating Great White shark stalking the beaches of Amity and the three men who go out to try and kill it. Seriously, is there anyone who doesn't know the plot to this masterpiece?

Considering all the production trouble on this thing it would be amazing to get a half-way decent film yet for some reason, perhaps the movie Gods were shining down, we ended up with one of the greatest films ever made. This is without question one of the greatest films to deal with tension as Spielberg masterfully handles all the material. The movie is like an amazing roller coaster as we get one scare after another until the end when we just get our senses attacked from all around. Millions of people have discussed the greatness of this film so it's hard to pick one thing but I'd say the greatest achievement of the film is the simple adventure it gives us.

Even though we get some very intense scenes the screenplay is smart enough to give us other things to go with. We got some nice black humor in the witty dialogue but we also get a good buddy picture with Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss delivering memorable characters. The three of them together are so different yet all three are like people I'm sure each viewer has met so it's easy to connect with them and it makes the film all the more fun when we go on this adventure.

The film, of course, benefits from the brilliant John Williams score, which is perhaps the most memorable in film history. Bruce, the name given to the shark, caused most of the problems during filming but you wouldn't know that by just watching the picture. The look of the shark is incredible and Spielberg certainly made the right decision of keeping it hidden and just revealing bits and pieces as the movie went along. The first glimpse in the pond is hauntingly shocking and each sighting just grows more and more tension. The director also knows how to build suspense without us seeing the shark as we're constantly viewing objects floating (the dock, the barrels) to imply that the creature is there.

What's even more amazing is that this film scared people so badly that they refused to go into the water yet the most suspenseful scene is probably the now legendary speech by Shaw about his time on the USS Indianapolis. It goes without saying but the three leads are all terrific in their roles and I really can't think of too many movies that have as many memorable characters as the ones here. We also get strong supporting work from Murray Hamilton as the Mayor and Lorraine Gary as Brody's wife.

For me this ranks as one of the greatest adventures ever captured on film because everyone involved makes it feel so real. When the men get on the boat to go after the shark you feel as if you're really there. When the camera is underwater given a POV shot of the shark, you feel as if you're in the water. The final death scene in the movie also just happens to be one of the most terrifying ever captured on film and it might even be the most brutal. The movie is a true masterpiece of suspense and I think it would be fair that nothing has come close to this in the past 35 years. Like PSYCHO, we've had a lot of rips of imitations but nothing has come close to the same power and it's doubtful anything ever will.

Back in 1975, "Jaws" made a huge splash (pardon the pun) in theaters. It set all sorts of box office records and made the covers of magazines all over the country. And, the film was seen as groundbreaking and amazing. When seen today, it's still a great film to watch even with it's very dated technology. In other words, the shark often looks very fake but the story is so good and handled so well, you really don't care. Excellent acting, a very nice script and excellent direction make this a definite must-see.

Jaws is very much a spiritual child of Moby Dick, with a Great White Shark inserted in place of a giant white whale.

The hunting of the shark means something different for each of the three main male leads. For Brody, killing the shark would mean ensuring the safety of his children (the relationship between parents and their children being a strong running theme in nearly all of Spielberg's films). For Hooper, the shark is just another shark. It's his job to study them and provide his expertise. That's it. Then there's Quint, a Captain Ahab like figure whose obsession places him in a fit of blind fury. To him, all sharks are the same and killing this one would operate as ultimate revenge.

And like Moby Dick, Jaws is a perfectly told straightforward story depicting believable human beings and observing human behavior. Part of the joy of Jaws is watching these characters interact with each other in ways that make them seem truly alive and real, which only serves to make the threat of the shark even more threatening. We also have the land scenes of the first half that expose the stakes at the same time as it depicts the conflict between Brody and the mayor who wants to keep the beach open.

And of course, the film is marvelously constructed by Spielberg. Much is made of the way he directs the scenes of suspense, but there's also very intelligent decisions being made in non-action scenes. Many shots burned into my eyes are something as simple as a quiet moment between a father and his son who is innocently ignorant of the danger at hand.

I will never forget the first time I saw Jaws. I was glued to the seat from start to finish. I jumped, I held my breath; this was one of the experiences that made me fall in love with movies. This was probably the first film where I completely forgot everything around me. I was there, in that boat, in that gloomy cabin, with those people - everything seemed so real (and alas, the sea never looked the same again). When I watch it these days I still marvel: the atmosphere and the performances in this film are simply magical. Spielberg without the schmalz. He has never been better.

My vote: 10 out of 10

Favorite films: http://www.IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/

Lesser-known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Favorite Low-Budget and B-Movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075552387/