Get your teeth into this classic blockbuster

Rating: 10/10 (10 June 2017)

We've all heard people say "Oh the book is far better than the film", and in most cases this is true. However, there are always exceptions to the rule. 'Misery' by Stephen King is a great book but a superb movie, 'The Godfather' by Mario Puzo is a brilliant novel, but the movie adaptation is far superior, and is even considered by many, to be one of the finest movies ever made. There are a few other movies that have been far better and more compelling than the book too, including 'Jaws' by Peter Benchley.
Some novels are so absorbing that they are hard to put down once you get into them, 'Jaws' however, isn't. It is a good book, but I believe it's one of those novels you could read on a long-haul flight, or while lazing by the pool on holiday. The story is quite slow moving, the characters are not very likable in anyway, and there are sub-plots that are so ridiculous that it's hard to stop yourself skipping bits just to get to the 'exciting' parts involving the shark. The movie, on the other hand, was exciting, well structured, omitted the ludicrous sub-plots, made the three main protagonists far more interesting, and of course the score was magnificent (instantly elevating the films suspense level, which obviously couldn't be achieved in print).
The film, directed by Stephen Spielberg, was released in 1975 and has now become considered as the 'father' of the 'classic' summer-blockbuster movie, achieving awards and honours and frequently being classed as one of the greatest movies of all time. It also genuinely terrified people so much, that it kept some beach goers out of the water for a couple of years after it's release. 'Jaws' is set on the small island of Amity and opens with a young girl, Chrissie Watkins, being killed while taking a night-time swim, and following the coroner's report that it was a shark attack, local police Chief Martin Brody insists the beaches be closed until the animal is destroyed. Unfortunately the Mayor of the town, insisting that the death was a one off incident and the shark has probably moved on, refuses to agree to Brody's demand as Amity is a popular tourist spot, and with the town filling up with summer visitors and 4th of July holidaymakers, the closure of the beaches will cause financial ruin to the town. However, during the 4th of July weekend another killing takes place, this time of a young local boy, causing mass panic. After being blamed for not taking more severe action following the death of Chrissie Watkins, Chief Brody along with marine biologist Matt Hooper and local shark hunter Quint, set out to kill the shark.
There are great and suspenseful moments scattered throughout the movie, and the score by John Williams adds to that. The two-note 'shark's theme' is used so well as the implication of an on-coming threat, that we don't even see the shark properly until about 1 hour 20 minutes into a 2 hour film, but we know it's there. The 'theme' has become so familiar now, it is widely used to imply the unwanted arrival of anything sinister.
Roy Scheider's performance as Chief Brody gives the character far more vulnerability and humour than the Chief Brody of the book. Matt Hooper is played brilliantly by Richard Dreyfuss and, in probably one of his finest screen performances, Robert Shaw is gruff sea captain and shark hunter Quint. There are a few genuinely stand-out scenes in the film. Of course everyone remembers the 'chumming' scene when we first get to see the shark, and the reaction and horror on Brody's face as he backs into the cabin on the boat and tells Quint "You're gonna need a bigger boat" (which was apparently not in the script and ad-libbed by Scheider on the spot).
There are notable differences between the book and the film. The two main sub-plots of the book as I said, are thankfully excluded from the movie. In the novel, the reasoning behind the Mayor's insistence to keep the beaches open isn't anything to do with keeping the summer tourists flocking in to keep the town's businesses going but that he has dealings with the Mafia and is afraid of the land values going down if the town is ruined, yes it's as daft as that. All the characters in the book are instantly unlikable. Hooper is an arrogant snob and the other sub-plot in the book, involved an affair between Hooper and Brody's wife Ellen, which would not only last for page after page, but would go into so much detail it was almost nauseating rather than stimulating. In the film Brody, Hooper and even the gruff Quint are actually quite likable. When reading the novel you actually find yourself on the shark's side.
OK, if I had any negative points about the film it would be that by today's special effects standards, the close ups of the shark are visibly very fake (there are though underwater long-shots of a real Great White Shark), but given the decade this film was made, it is easy to over-look that part given the quality of the rest of the film.
The movie is easily one of my personal favourites and, in my opinion, is a must for any DVD collection.