Reminds me of bullfighting

Rating: 6/10 (10 August 2019)

I could not recall the first time I watched Jaws, nor much about the plot, so I decided to give it another try. I do own that it is well made, for what it is and when it appeared. The use of suspense is very good and the light-hearted bantering of the various semi-comical characters keeps the plot moving along without seeming tedious.
That said, nearly forty-five years after its release, the gouging of the giant shark seems very cruel--rather like bullfighting. While watching the boat scenes, I could not help thinking about all of the other cruelties human beings have perpetrated against sea life: plastic pollution, oil spills, etc. The shark is depicted as a menace to humanity, when in fact (we now know) that is exactly the reverse of the true story. Spielberg does provide a bit of animal revenge when the shark kills the shark hunter, which seems oddly satisfying given his vocation. But the good sheriff actually blows up the shark, which seems incredibly gory and horrible to me.
I wonÂ´t watch this movie again, but I am glad that I did, just to see how Spielberg builds suspense so masterfully.