Jaws (1975)

 

Genre: Adventure/ Horror

Time: 2 Hours

Director: Steven Spielberg

Quick Summary: When a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community off Cape Cod, it's up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.

I was absolutely glued to the screen while watching this. This is more than "Just a Shark Movie".

So many parts of this are so iconic, like the shark POV shots underwater which are so cool, and one of the most iconic motifs in cinema history so much so that even children recognise the sound. It creates such good tension once you hear it that it will surely get your heart racing. Also, one of my favourite dolly zoom moments I have ever seen is when the sheriff realises there is actually a shark in the water and you can really see when that moment hits. It's just such a neat scene, as well as being absolutely terrifying.

To my surprise, there is actually a lot of drama within this film to do with the humans, and really the shark doesn't appear a lot until the third act. The first half of "Jaws" takes place almost entirely "on land" and focuses more on the politics of fear and commerce than anything supernatural or scary. Admittedly this is a really good setup and it sets that fear into the viewer early on as you realise, nobody is doing anything to help this sheriff. 

The second half has more adventure and action, as the crew chase down the shark. Even though this film is almost 50 years old, it's not dated at all. It's thrilling, there are really unique camera shots that express so many feelings without saying a single word. There is tons of tension and it's super brutal watching them fight the shark desperately, not knowing if they will live or survive. Somehow, in the middle of this, it manages to fit in one of the funniest contents of "I can do you one better." as two of the crew members show off their psychical battle scars. What makes this so great, is that these two crew members were at each other's necks before all this, bickering over any little thing.

The script is written incredibly well too. We got some nice black humour in the witty dialogue such as people painting over the town's billboard,  but we also got a good buddy picture with Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss delivering memorable characters. The three of them together are so different yet all three get along incredibly well. They're all so hilarious with each other and I love them equally. They make this film so much more fun.

During the times when the shark does attack, it's incredibly brutal. There's one scene where even a small child gets eaten, which honestly was so devastating to watch. They all feel so real, which is a mix of incredible acting and amazing special effects. All of this really does just bring this film to life. I think I'm more scared of sharks now.

I love this film so much, not just because it is a cinematic masterpiece, but because it is such a good film. Incredibly entertaining, and tension-filled, with a good amount of drama that doesn't drag the film down, and light-hearted moments to bring the film up. I personally think this is flawless and urge people to go see this. 

10/10

"You're gonna need a bigger boat."

"I'm not going to waste my time arguing with a man who's lining up to be a hot lunch."

" I think that I am familiar with the fact that you are going to ignore this particular problem until it swims up and BITES YOU ON THE ASS!"