A new police chief is confronted with a sudden outbreak of shark attacks during the biggest tourist weekend of the year, and must seek the assistance of a marine biologist and a grizzled sailor in order to put an end to the reign of terror.
Celebrating 50 years of success is really something special for a movie. But to still be relevant and popular that many years after release is even more miraculous, and it’s a clarification that very few films can attain. Jaws is one of the choice few to have done so, and for very good reason. It’s quite possibly one of the most perfect films ever made. It’s thrilling, entertaining, frightening, and an all around good time that has traumatized generation after generation with a fear of sharks and water in general. How many films can you name that are quite as long lasting as this one? Even my mom is still afraid of sharks because of Jaws.
Jaws was one of the very first films in the incredibly long running and award winning career of Stephen Spielberg, and it showed the world what he could do with a budget. Adapted from the novel by Peter Benchley, Jaws is one of the very previous few films on the planet to defy time and age gracefully, thanks in part to the simply ageless direction of Spielberg and the always relevant story of a man eating shark. You can’t go a summer without thinking about this movie, let alone go for a swim in the ocean in a carefree manner. The way Jaws is filmed will have you genuinely fearful of what lies beneath the surface, and for better or worse, it has stuck with us for decades, and will continue to do so.
It’s also difficult to pick a favorite character in the film. Between the three leads, all of them have their own endearing qualities and personalities that makes you love them. Roy Scheider is wonderful as Chief Brody, wearing his difficult decisions and moral dilemmas on his face in fantastic form. Richard Dreyfuss is adorable and cutesy as Matt Hooper, the marine biologist who knows sharks better than we know most people. And Robert Shaw truly is Captain Quint, the drunken shark hunting sailor man whose world weary stories and war experiences make him the most deeply developed of the three, but perhaps not the most likeable. The three personalities clash and bond over the course of the film, making for a uniquely moving experience that connects you to them all, even as things go to hell. I’m just glad they ditched the adultery subplot. Look it up if you want the dynamic ruined.
Perhaps the best of everything is the practical effects, though. While it’s widely known that the mechanical shark was an absolute nightmare on set, as it was prone to rust and difficulty in the real saltwater where the film was shot, it paid off by being one of the single most terrifying depictions of sharks to ever be shown on film, with the build up to the reveal of the sheer size of the predator being so well done that I still gasp and wince the minute it appears on screen. Though sharks themselves aren’t bloodthirsty killers in real life, Jaws does a good job of showing just how dangerous they can be if they so choose, and reminds us that maybe we should stay out of their territory.
50 years on and Jaws is still going strong. It’s frightening, tense, and somehow still fun to watch, even if you do pull your feet up under you while you’re watching it. I promise there’s not a shark under the couch. Now show me the way to go home. I’m tired and I wanna go to bed!