One of the Greatest Films Ever Made!

Rating: 10/10 (19 March 2006)

When this first came out in 1975 the ad campaign was overwhelming. It made me want to NOT go. But my friend wanted to see it and, heck, she was paying so why not? I spent 3/4 of the movie with my feet up on the seat. I was never much for ocean swimming in the first place; this put the nail in the coffin (tho I have gotten over it enough to snorkel in Hawaii - nice CLEAR water there that you can SEE in).
This, of course, was Spielberg's first commercial film and he and his team made the most of it. The thing is, we don't really SEE the shark very often ("The shark is not working. Repeat, the shark is not working.") and, IMHO, that just makes it better. Makes the suspense almost unbearable. The stunt shark (Bruce), when cut together with the film shot by the "B" unit in Australia is pretty darn convincing when we DO see it. The cinematography is stunning and some of the shots are ground breaking; the zoom-push when Brody sees the shark attack the little boy for one. It's no wonder Spielberg became one of the most respected directors ever. And don't forget the brilliant editing.
The cast is great, but the threesome on the boat are amazing. I absolutely adored Robert Shaw. I was heartbroken when he died a few years later. Schieder and Dreyfus were stellar. The scene recounting the Indianapolis' sinking gives me chills to this day. I read that Shaw did the bulk of it (his close-ups) all in one take. It wouldn't surprise me. I cannot understand why he wasn't nominated for an Oscar for this. One of the greatest characters in cinema history. I love his little bit about the cage; "You go in the cage. Cage goes in the water. You go in the water. Shark's in the water. Our shark." Then sings, "Farewll and adieu..." I laugh every time. God bless him and thank goodness for film to treasure his performance. And, of course, there's Schieder's immortal "You're gonna need a bigger boat."
As for the music... one name -- John Williams. Who else could have scored this? The chase music always send me into paroxysms of delight; even though it's a scary film, those pieces invoke the open, wild nature of the sea. If I ever get a boat, I'll have that music on a loop (just THAT, not the rest of it). Not to disregard the rest of it... the entire soundtrack is one of the best ever written. The opening is classic. If you've never even seen the film, you know where it came from.
What else can I say? I will watch this movie anytime it's on even though I own the DVD. I'm like a junkie... I cannot resist. Of course, I hate the cuts they make and if I'm in the mood to WATCH it, the DVD goes in. But I'll have this on even for background. I remember taking my Grandmother to see it when it was re-released in the 80's. I warned her about the jump-out-at-you scene at Ben Gardner's boat. I told her "This is scary if you want to hide your eyes." God love her, she said "I came to see the whole movie and I'm going to watch the whole movie." And she did. She loved it, too. If for some reason - you think it will scare you, you don't like (fill in the blank) - Get over it and see this film! You won't regret it.