Taking a bite out of Jaws

Rating: 9/10 (26 October 2005)

Jaws was directed by Steven Spielberg. The first asst. director was Tom Joyner and the second asst. director was Barbara Bass. Police Chief Martin Brody was played by Roy Scheider, Quint by Robert Shaw and Matt Hooper played by Richard Dreyfuss. Ellen Brody was acted by Lorraine Gary and Mayor Larry Vaughn by Murray Hamilton. Original music by John William
A beastly great white shark terrorizes a small resort town during a most profitable Fourth of July vacation, and when Police chief Martin Brody proposes shutting down the beaches, the mayor and city council starkly refuse because of profit decreases. As the shark makes his deadly threats (and lunch) a crusty old sea dog named Quint comes along and offers to kill the shark. City council and mayor Larry Vaughn decline and instead bring in Matt Hooper, a marine biologist and shark buff who quickly proves wrong the committee whenever they try to cover up the slaughter. Finally, when a group of boys (including the mayor's son) then comes within the stinking breath of death and chum, the mayor gives in and pays Quint, Martin and Hooper to hunt out and finally destroy the ravenous beast. But do they make it?
As a master of suggestive art, Spielberg used this ability to make Jaws into one of the most memorable films in movie history. With an excellent original music score, he turns an entirely stupid looking foam shark into a beast of terror. To aid the horror of how vicious this chunk of foam is, he also adds great emotion to the faces of characters such as in the autopsy scene where Hooper was observing what was left of the first victim. Though you never see the remains of the victim, his face contortions into many disturbed expressions, and a gallon of sweat dribbiting down his forehead clearly state that this shark is the Beelzebub of all sharks. He uses this technique throughout the whole film, and he never shows until the climax the dreaded foam shark.
The film's overall idea is ridiculous, but the movie itself is great . The conflict growing inside the Chief is irkingly good because he shows in such a clever way. An entire juice glass of a heavy red wine and he downs it faster than the shark downs Quint. This shows the stress of how the town is all relying on him to solve the problem that is this menace and if he fails, what will they all do? Will there by another Kittner boy's mother, no son and hating him for it. Only he can't close the beaches because city council won't let him. This confusion helps viewers relate to the movie.
Personally, I thought the movie was great. His use of music to build tension and only silhouetting the shark to hide it's overall stupidity was an absolutely brilliant maneuver, and even though the main idea sucks, the suggestion makes the move an all-time summer favorite.
Kristen Stenvik