MOVIE REVIEW: Jaws (1975)

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Steven Spielberg's Jaws has recently been re-released for limited screenings around the country. An iconic American film if there ever was one, it's been credited as the one that started the summer blockbuster trend that continues to this day. Upon its release it was among the widest distributed films up to that point, shown on over 450 screens at once. There was a large marketing campaign that included several television advertisements and other tie-in merchandise. All of these things are now the norm for summer blockbusters that are released by major studios, but in 1975 this was pretty much unheard of. At that point the summer was the dumping ground for a number of movies, much like the months between January and April are now, and it wouldn't be surprising to read about how many industry insiders were predicting that Jaws would become a box office bomb based on its release date alone, not to mention its notoriously troubled production.

Based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name, Jaws tells the story of a great white shark that preys on the citizens of Amity Island who go to the beach during the summer. Chief of police Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) investigates the attacks while dealing with the dilemma of trying to close the beaches, although the town's mayor (Murray Hamilton) doesn't want this as it is bad for business. As the shark attacks continue to occur, Brody calls in an oceanographer named Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) to help him in finding the shark. Still without much luck in catching the fish, Brody eventually convinces the mayor to sign a document that would hire a professional shark hunter named Quint (Robert Shaw) to help catch it. Brody, Hooper and Quint then set out on the shark hunt that takes up the second half of the film, and concludes in the most satisfying finale that one could imagine.

Having read Benchley's potboiler novel almost a year ago, it's somewhat surprising to look at the differences when comparing the film with its source material. Steven Spielberg reportedly didn't care for much of the novel, indicating that he found the characters so unlikable that he felt the audience would want to root for the shark. It is true that the characters in the book, except for maybe Quint, are very different from what Spielberg ended up with on the screen. Their relationships, in particular, offer many subplots that Spielberg wisely chose to leave out of his film, including an affair between Brody's wife and Hooper that only creates further tension between the two characters. Brody's wife, in particular, is largely used as a commentary on class divisions between her and Brody, as she repeatedly claims that her wealthy family and friends look down on her for marrying someone who is part of the middle class. There's also more corruption present as Benchley's novel shows the mayor to have ties with the mafia.

Spielberg's decision to get rid of these subplots proved to be a smart one, creating an original story for the first half of the film and then using the latter half to focus on the shark hunt that was lifted from Benchley's novel. Instead of using the elements of adultery and organized crime from the source material, Spielberg instead uses the age old question of the value of human lives versus monetary gain. This is most evidently portrayed in the several encounters Brody and Hooper have with the town's mayor, who refuses to shut down the beaches because of the amount of money that would be lost from summer tourists. The theme of the value of human life would be explored in Spielberg's later work, particularly in his more prestigious films such as Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, and his most recent film Lincoln. By focusing solely on this for the first half of the story, the director gives Jaws a simpler and arguably more effective conflict than the several subplots that take up much of Benchley's novel. It may not have the kind of thematic depth or complexity that would be explored in some of Spielberg's later works, but it lends the film a sense of personality that certainly isn't found in most modern summer blockbusters.

Much has been made of the fact that Jaws was a notoriously difficult shoot, and that it turned out as well as it did is a miracle in and of itself. The mechanical shark, named Bruce, would repeatedly malfunction and cause many delays. The schedule went on longer than planned, which resulted in the film's budget to increase as well (it went from $4 million to $9 million by the end of production). The conditions on Martha's Vineyard created much of the stress for the cast and crew, with Spielberg insisting on the film being shot out in the ocean rather than a tank built in a Hollywood studio set, which resulted in many of the actors being seasick. Sailboats would drift into frame and ruin shots, along with cameras getting soaked. The film's editor, Verna Fields, had virtually nothing to work with while Spielberg was in principal photography out in Martha's Vineyard, leaving her with the unenviable task of sorting through footage and making something coherent out of what had been shot.

All of these problems are really what make Jaws such an effective thriller that still holds up 40 years later. Essentially being forced into restraint under the circumstances, Spielberg adopted the "Hitchcock method" in creating suspense through what isn't seen. The shark was originally planned to be featured much more before its many malfunctions on set, and would have likely been a gorier and, in my opinion, lesser film as a result. By using this restraint Spielberg was able to lift a B-movie premise into something classier and more frightening, relying instead on primordial fear instead of gratuitous violence to instill a sense of dread into the audience. Much of this is aided by John Williams' now iconic score, which also has a Hitchcockian vibe to it. It can be argued that the music is what makes at least half of Jaws work as well as it does (Spielberg himself has done just as much), and there's no doubt that the minimalist theme creates an ominous atmosphere and sense of dread that perfectly fits the tone of the film.

Aside from the obvious cinematic influences (primarily the work of Alfred Hitchcock), there are clear parallels to Herman Melville's classic novel "Moby-Dick" as well. This is best exemplified in the second half of the film that takes place at sea, with Quint being the obvious Captain Ahab figure. Much like Ahab and his determination to hunt that novel's sperm whale, Quint is similarly obsessed with his shark hunting. In a now famous scene, he recalls the story of when he was on the USS Indianapolis, a World War II heavy cruiser that was torpedoed and sunk by the Japanese military in the Pacific Ocean in July of 1945. Several of the crew members died immediately, while many others were stranded in the middle of the ocean for several days and had to fight off sharks, dehydration, exhaustion, and hypothermia with little to no food or water (an excellent and harrowing account of this historical incident can be found in Doug Stanton's "In Harm's Way"). It's a great monologue and gives further insight into Quint's chosen profession, a man who seems to care about little else besides hunting sharks. His seaside home/office is filled with shark memorabilia, and seemingly has no other family or friends in his life. Right as Quint is sailing out with Brody and Hooper to go hunt the shark, Spielberg frames his boat from behind a shark's skeletal mouth in Quint's office, a visual representation of the dangerous territory the characters are about to embark on. Quint's fate is perhaps the film's most bitterly ironic moment, and one that also recalls Ahab's eventual fate in Melville's novel.

Much like "Moby Dick" or Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea," Jaws does a remarkable job of giving the audience the feeling of being out in the ocean with the characters. A lot of this is due to Spielberg's insistence on filming out at sea rather than in a large tank, and the result is a more immersive experience. Whether it's on shore or out in the water, there's a real sense of place and time here. It's almost as if you can smell the salt water and fish, an impressive feat to pull off that relies primarily on the skill of Bill Butler's cinematography. This was similarly done for the jungle in both Werner Herzog's Aguirre, the Wrath of God Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now, but Spielberg's visuals aren't as striking or surreal as those in either of the aforementioned films. There's also a surprising amount of long takes throughout the film, the most notable being during Quint's recollection of his experiences on the USS Indianapolis. With very few cuts, the shot lingers on a close-up of his face that conveys more to the audience than a generic flashback to the incident would have achieved.

The eventual success of Jaws would only establish what is now the common formula for summer blockbusters, and was continued with even more success two years later with George Lucas' Star Wars in 1977. Whereas that film was an escapist space opera, what makes Jaws so effective is that is relies on the audience's primal fears. Aside from the technical expertise and strong performances, it's this primal element that really gives Jaws its lasting appeal so many years later. The film's scenario is also something that's not unrealistic (Benchley's novel was, after all, inspired by the shark attacks that took place on the Jersey Shore in 1916) and can even make some viewers think twice the next time they are at the beach and about to step into the water (shark attacks that have been happening in the Outer Banks in recent weeks certainly won't help matters). Having just seen this film on the big screen earlier tonight for the first time, it's an experience I highly recommend if given the opportunity. Part horror film, part thriller and part sea adventure, each component works to create what is essential viewing for anyone who loves movies. Jaws is a personal favorite of mine, as well as a renowned classic that, for my money, is one of the very best movies of Steven Spielberg's long and illustrious career.

Rating: 4/4