what an interesting film! ofc very much a classic but somehow its my first time watching the original im pretty sure. cinematic masterpiece imo disregarding the lack of realistic props or special effects (duh its 1975) i think jaws was still able to capture the suspense and tension of the scenes excellently. i loved the pacing and shot composition especially for the shark bite scenes not to mention the stellar music and sound effects
i was always on the edge of my seat even if i found it somewhat ironic given that it wasnt convincing at all LOL but either way i absolutely loved the storytelling and foreshadowing. every scene had its place even if it seemed more “filler” or insignificant. i feel the same way with the dialogue everything was so purposefully planned and delivered. the buildup of tension was just so well done eg the scene where everyone had to get out of the water because of that one prank or the scene with the whole back and forth between brody and his wife about letting the kids sit in the boat by the dock.
about the plot itself i initially didnt think much of it but after reading some peoples analyses ive come to appreciate it more. sometimes u just have 3 dumb men on a boat and it just turns out like that yk! i liked the characters so much too theyre full of their own flaws, contradictions and quirks. i think the character writing and choice in dialogue held a lot of depth. i also enjoyed seeing their dynamic develop. from seeing them arguing about their different methodologies and mindsets to comparing scars in a boat: it was just enjoyable to watch.
at first i was quite hesitant about liking jaws given that its portrayal of sharks has irreparably ruined how people perceive them. if you didnt know already, in the years following jaws' release, the number of large sharks in the waters east of north america declined by 50%! id heard about this before i watched the film so in my mind i was already like i dont want to support a film that has contributed to wildlife endangerment... but after watching it i think ive come to realise that it isnt necessarily the narrative's fault at hand, but rather about how the audience has perceived it. of course generally the film does not put sharks in a good light but when you think about it, jaws could serve as a commentary about how people encroach on wildlife's habitats and lives. in fact, it's even more ironic that the audience doesn't perceive it this way, and continues to see humans as the ones needing protection, when we are actually the ones causing our own demise. not sure whether im making sense but my point is that the audience readily chose to empathise with humans (who were shown to be quite stupid and foolish in the film) rather than the shark (who in my opinion did nothing wrong). yet i can't exactly criticise them, because it is our inherent nature to connect and empathise with the human condition over anything else, especially with how this film was made. as such, jaws definitely reflects the constant struggle of man vs nature, but i wish there was more nuance portrayed.
the movie aged very well and this whole amity village situation is awfully representative of similar events happening in today’s timeline: scientists give repeated warnings, capitalistic politicians dismiss them with no real reason except to earn money. of course that's a rant for another day but my point still stands that jaws is a great classic and is enjoyable to watch and analyse, especially when a lot of its contents can serve as commentary on our current societal landscape.
- j