Synopsis – When a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community, it’s up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down – Jaws.
Director – Steven Spielberg
Starring – Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss
Genre – Adventure | Horror | Thriller
Released – 1975
If you liked – King Kong, The Meg, The Shallows.
Jaws the original summer blockbuster may well be the most famous movie ever made, or at least in the top three!. A worldwide smash hit upon its initial release. Still able to entertain Forty-five years later, the movie has not only stood the test of time but improved with age. A timeless, almost entirely universally beloved masterpiece.
The technical difficulties surrounding the animatronic shark are well known, and so is the fact that it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, forcing Spielberg to create tension and fear in more creative ways, hiding this ferocious beast until completely necessary. Leaving it almost entirely to the audience’s imagination to do all the work, starting with a downright iconic opening sequence that’s guaranteed to leave you feeling terrified, no matter how many times you witness the poor woman screaming in agony and being dragged below the waves by an unseen foe.
The shark may be the draw, but what really makes Jaws work are three interesting leads. The chemistry they share is impeccable. Brody (Scheider) is a paranoid police chief who witnesses the death of a child, pushing him to fight against the town’s establishment for the town’s safety. Richard Dreyfuss is hilarious as Matt Hopper, an irreverent marine biologist, who frequently clashes with the tough-as-nails fisherman Quint (Shaw). All three leads make these characters come alive and when combined with strong writing, the journey they go on and the decisions they make feel realistic (for a creature feature).
How Spielberg pulled Jaws off with a huge script re-writes a small budget and technical issues is a testament to just how talented he is, even at this early stage in his career. Jaws stands the test of time as one of the best films ever made. No amount of complaining plastic mechanical sharks will ever dim this wonderful movie’s appeal.
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