Showcases Spielberg brilliance

Rating: 8/10 (6 March 2010)

During the 4th July celebrations 3 men attempt to stop a dangerous great white shark from harming the people of Amity 35 years on from its first release and this Spielberg masterpiece has generated its fair share of parodies and mock ups but this picture is by far a unique piece of tension and adrenaline showcased through a terrifying ideology.
The story begins with some frisky teens and when one goes missing through a point of view shot of an anonymous underwater predator does the story take a sharp turn in the right direction of family entertainment.
The title sequence underwater is juxtaposed with some great John Williams music that has been talked about for numerous decades and taught Steven Spielberg the value of significant score in relation to a terrifying creature. The development over the decades has seen the director tackle the T-Rex in Jurassic Park and the fantastic boulder chase in Raiders of the lost arc, all John Williams collaborations that all have made excellent impressions worldwide, not to forget without such great build ups in tension and action, we would not have had countless sequels to Jaws, Indiana Jones or Jurassic Park.
As a piece of direction, Jaws balances finely on a thriller whilst for me on first viewing, had a sense of dignified horror whilst not over indulging itself on sharp screams. It was quite surprising to see this given such a low certificate rating despite the amount of action involving blood and the motive of threat throughout.
Regardless the pace is on the money, the actors do a good enough job to get a feeling of terror mixed in with their ordinary character's lives.
As mentioned Jaws now 35 years old has dropped in terms of viewing pleasure for many as a source of being shown countless times but having this picture as a source of viewing infrequently makes it a guilty please in today's society.
For example the rapid development in technology, especially given what has just happened with James Cameron's Avater, make this picture look timid and ordinary. But cast the eyes back to its first release and this was all the rage. Whilst the lighting is occasionally off key, particularly during the opening beach scene, there is still an impressive sight given when we eventually see the shark and how Spielberg accomplishes his feeling of authenticity through great set placement and ideology.
Looking at some of the great horrors over the years they all share a same concept. Predator, hung in the background, Alien, hung in the background, T-Rex appeared when we least suspected it. Having the presence of mind to encode an unusual but equally brave creature and using it as an evil semiotic in the plot delivers so much joy and entertainment, and it is as valid here as it is anywhere.
In the wave of recent blockbusters this perhaps does not have enough panache and swagger as modern releases do but this is still a tremendous excuse to sit back and be either terrified or excited by some great direction and creepy ideology.