Jaws Sets The Benchmark For Sea Thrillers

Rating: 10/10 (30 September 2012)

Based on Peter Benchley's best-selling novel, Steven Spielberg's shark saga set the standard for the New Hollywood popcorn blockbuster while frightening millions of moviegoers out of the water in this movie,Jaws. It stars Roy Scheider as police chief Martin Brody, Richard Dreyfuss as oceanographer Matt Hooper, Robert Shaw as shark hunter Quint, Murray Hamilton as the mayor of Amity Island, and Lorraine Gary as Brody's wife, Ellen.The screenplay was written by Benchley and Carl Gottlieb; and it was directed by Spielberg.
One early summer night on fictional Atlantic resort Amity Island, Chrissie decides to take a moonlight skinny dip while her friends party on the beach. Yanked suddenly below the ocean surface, she never returns. When pieces of her wash ashore, Police Chief Brody suspects the worst, but Mayor Vaughn, mindful of the lucrative tourist trade and the approaching July 4th holiday, refuses to put the island on a business- killing shark alert. After the shark dines on a few more victims, the Mayor orders the local fishermen to catch the culprit. Satisfied with the shark they find, the greedy Mayor reopens the beaches, despite the warning from visiting ichthyologist Hooper that the attacks were probably caused by a far more formidable Great White. One more fatality later, Brody and Hooper join forces with flinty old salt Quint, the only local fisherman willing to take on a Great White. The three ride off on Quint's boat "The Orca," soon coming face to teeth with the enemy.
Compelling, well-crafted storytelling and a judicious sense of terror ensure Steven Spielberg's Jaws has remained a benchmark in the art of delivering modern blockbuster thrills.Aside from that,credit should also be given to the outstanding performances of the cast particularly by Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss. Featuring an unforgettable score that evokes pure terror, Jaws remains one of the most influential and gripping adventures in motion picture history as it has remained a cultural phenomenon and forever changing the movie industry.When it comes to this kind of thriller, no movie has been able to top Jaws, although many have tried. And, as the years go by, it seems increasingly unlikely that anything will come close.