An absolute masterpiece; a summer blockbuster that is also somewhat groundbreaking

Rating: Null/10 (6 August 2008)

Often considered to be the ultimate summer blockbuster, Jaws (1975) goes even further than that; standing as a truly radical and exciting piece of film-making, rich in character, action, energy and technique; and filled with some truly iconic moments that have endured throughout the subsequent thirty-five years and still retain the power and ability to shock and excite the audience in more than equal measures. For me, it's an example of almost perfect film-making, setting the template for many of Spielberg's greatest films in terms of structure, presentation and impact; with that opening sequence grabbing our attention with a swift combination of alluring sexuality giving way to full-blown horror and dread; further whetting our appetite just enough to make us persevere with the eventual scenes of dialog and exposition that immediately follow. Here, Spielberg is also able to suggest the kind of danger lurking ahead, creating a sense of suspense for the audience that will pay off in the final third of the film, where we find non-stop action, drama and pure character dynamics.
Much has already been written about the sharp vibrancy of the story and the slow build up to the eventual revelation of the event that triggers the narrative and sends us headlong into that four-way battle of wits that dominates the film's final act; with the screenwriters taking an obvious leaf from Hitchcock - and in particular, The Birds (1963) - with that idea of a small, seemingly idyllic island community being terrorised by an ecological, naturalistic horror that is never fully explained (and remains all the more terrifying for it). It remains that perfect combination of script, direction, casting and hook; in this case the frightening and iconic score of John Williams, which benefits from a two-note simplicity in keeping with the rest of the film, and the basic idea of an unseen, unstoppable evil, waiting in the most innocuous place of all... the sea! Spielberg's confident approach to a cinema of this scale, even at such an early point in his career, is already apparent; with the problems behind the scenes actually being used to the benefit of the film, turning something that could have been a fairly obvious maritime disaster movie with a fake rubber shark and producing a film that was slightly more enigmatic, character driven and open to interpretation.
For example, you can clearly read metaphorical interpretations into the portrayal of the shark and how it affects this community; bringing out the quiet desperation of the islanders and the corruption of its town officials who just want to keep the money rolling in, regardless of the cost; are of which are fairly prevalent when we think of the film in the 70's context, post-Watergate/post-Vietnam. However, the film isn't limited to political subtext, with the action, characters and deft handling of narrative momentum all adding to the overall great viewing experience; with the director's truly heroic command of framing, shot structure and tight use of editing to make the most out of the film's few genuinely affecting shock scenes. It's also more violent than the PG rating would suggest, with Spielberg once again getting away with the kind of brutality that would have condemned a less popular filmmaker; something that we can also see in the violence of Saving Private Ryan (1999) and the more recent Munich (2005).
It's odd to consider now that Spielberg was, despite his success, always thought of as a lesser talent compared to the likes of Coppola, Scorsese and Bogdanovich; his style and influences too populist to appeal to serious cineasts and his films apparently too lightweight to be compared to the similarly great likes of The Last Picture Show (1971), The Conversation (1974) and Taxi Driver (1976). With this in mind, it's surprising to see that Spielberg is now the most interesting, exciting and edgy director of his generation; still as populist and business-minded as ever, but taking great risks with films like the emotionally complicated A.I. (2001), the low-key and minimalist (of the not entirely successful) The Terminal (2004) and the vitriolic and oddly reflective Munich; as mentioned above. Obviously, he is a great filmmaker - as those particular films and many more will attest - however, for me, Jaws is something of his masterpiece; made all the more impressive for the fact that it was produced at the very beginning of his career and was only his third feature-length film as director.