Jaws

In this man vs. nature film, Jaws displays various themes such as feelings of helplessness and fear of the unknown. This film is all about danger and suspense along with gore and violence. Things go from being ok one minute, to surprise and thrill the next. Many know Jaws because of the music without even having seen the film.

            Steven Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster drew people in from the beginning of the movie, creating an innocent scene with young kids enjoying a campfire on a warm summer night. The next minute, things completely shift when one of the girls decides to run into the water for a swim and she is attacked by something unknown. Starring Roy Scheider as the police chief and Robert Shaw a local fisherman, the town doesn’t believe that a shark could have been the cause of the girls death. They didn’t believe something that big existed in their waters. After finding a marine biologist to help out with the goal of having the beach open for the fourth of July weekend, the film sets up the suspense when they believe they killed the shark the day before. Since everyone thought it was safe now, and the mayor (Murray Hamilton) approved, the beach was open but the shark really wasn’t dead.

            This film was low budget and the shark looked fake, but Spielberg created suspense and mystery well with the zoom effects used in different scenes. One way he connected with the audience was not only the fear of the shark, but also the dark and mysterious water.

            I really enjoyed this film and it is considered a classic that was very popular at its time of introduction. From the music used to create suspense, to the different lighting and angles on the boat and underwater, this is a masterpiece that is one of the best films today.