This was no boat accident

Rating: 10/10 (7 December 2015)

When a man-eating Great White shark makes the shores of Amity it's feeding ground and closing the beaches isn't an option because the island's summer tourist trade will be affected, hydrophobic police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) enlists the help of marine biologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and local fisherman, Quint (Robert Shaw) to help him hunt the beast.
Based on the novel by Peter Benchley, Jaws is a rare case of the movie being considered better than the book, cutting out much of the novel's miscellany (including a mafia and marital infidelity plot line) choosing to focus only the battle between man and beast giving a more concise and concentrated story, quite literally throwing you in at the deep end with the demise of doomed free-spirited skinny dipper, Chrissie in the opening scene.
Often quoted as being the first big summer blockbuster--and the movie certainly was successful--I resent the label as it implies that Jaws has nothing of substance to offer. While the scenes on and in the water provide the thrills, the scenes on dry land show and develop well-rounded and engaging characters that you truly want to root for. All three of the main male characters are superb in their respective roles.
Robert Shaw as tough sea-dog, Quint is a fan favourite, however I find myself far more drawn to out-of-depth everyman Brody and science minded Hooper. With that said, Shaw plays the part perfectly and his delivery of the USS Indianapolis speech is chilling and one of the great moments in cinema.
Of course I couldn't review Jaws without mentioning John William's brilliant music score. The Jaws theme did for swimming what Psycho did for taking showers; just those first few notes alone have the ability to strike fear into the minds of anyone who dares step into the water.