Jaws (A+ or 4/4 stars)
Based on a best-selling novel by Peter Benchley, Steven Spielberg's 1975 shark drama 'Jaws' will have you terrified to step foot into the ocean. Action begins one early summer night on New England's fictional Amity Island. Chrissie decides to take a moonlight skinny dip while her friends party back on the beach. Yanked suddenly below the ocean's surface, she freaks out, screams, & never returns. When her mutilated body washes ashore, Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) suspects a shark attack, and the coroner states that the cause of death IS a shark attack. But Mayor Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) & the town council - mindful of the approaching (& lucrative) 4th of July holiday - refuses to put the isle on a business-killing shark alert.
After the shark tears into a few more victims, the Mayor orders the local fishermen to catch it. Satisfied with the shark they catch, the greedy Mayor reopens the beaches, despite a stern warning from visiting ichthyologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) that the attacks were most likely caused by a far more threatening Great White. One more death later, the mayor is forced to admit that something must be done. And so, Brody & Hooper join forces with obstreperous old salt Quint (Robert Shaw), the only local shark hunting fisherman willing to take on a Great White - especially since the $10,000 he asks for, he'll get.
And so, the 3 ride set sail on Quint's boat 'The Orca'. The men bond over 'war wounds', with Hooper & Quint showing their various scars. Then Quint tells a chilling tale about a WWII experience when he & the motley crew of a sunken ship were savaged by sharks until the rescuers showed up. After those quiet moments, it's pretty much all suspense-driven action, as Jaws & the threesome of 'The Orca' engage in a grisly cat-&-mouse game on the ocean. Craziness ensues.
'Jaws' has 2 villains, really. During the 1st half of the film, the enemy is the mayor; more concerned with how the town's economy would be affected by the shark. He muzzles Chief Brody, which inadvertently allows more deaths to occur. And while Martin battles the mayor & his puppets on the town council, Jaws lurks in the deep; taking over the main villain role for the duration. The 2nd half of the film is the classic man vs. beast. In interviews with Spielberg, he divulged that the Jaws machine broke down so many times that they could only use/show it in certain scenes. And so, I find it ironic that this handicap actually results in one of the movie's great strengths - by keeping Jaws hidden from the audience, the film builds suspense to a high level.
It's easy to identify with Chief Martin Brody because he seems real; and that's a tribute to Roy Scheider's focused, intense performance. Richard Dreyfuss infuses Matt Hooper with spontaneity & a dry wit. Robert Shaw imbues Quint with a larger-than-life quality that makes you lean forward to hear everything that leaves his lips. It's simply a fantastic, iconic performance. Lorraine Gary is solid as Brody's supportive wife; & ditto that for Murray Hamilton as the oily Mayor of Amity.
The most memorable scene occurs when Martin Brody gets a startling 1st look at his nemesis. After casually throwing chum into the water, he momentarily turns around. When he looks back, it's into the face of the shark as it elevates from the water's surface. Brody stumbles back into the cabin & utters Jaws' most quoted line: "You're gonna need a bigger boat". Superb movie. With titillating editing, unique cinematography, realistic performances, dread-building mood, excitement, terror, dark humor, capped off with John Williams' iconic musical score (Duh duh! Duh duh!!!!) ... I honestly think that 'Jaws' is one of the best movies of all-time.
After the shark tears into a few more victims, the Mayor orders the local fishermen to catch it. Satisfied with the shark they catch, the greedy Mayor reopens the beaches, despite a stern warning from visiting ichthyologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) that the attacks were most likely caused by a far more threatening Great White. One more death later, the mayor is forced to admit that something must be done. And so, Brody & Hooper join forces with obstreperous old salt Quint (Robert Shaw), the only local shark hunting fisherman willing to take on a Great White - especially since the $10,000 he asks for, he'll get.
And so, the 3 ride set sail on Quint's boat 'The Orca'. The men bond over 'war wounds', with Hooper & Quint showing their various scars. Then Quint tells a chilling tale about a WWII experience when he & the motley crew of a sunken ship were savaged by sharks until the rescuers showed up. After those quiet moments, it's pretty much all suspense-driven action, as Jaws & the threesome of 'The Orca' engage in a grisly cat-&-mouse game on the ocean. Craziness ensues.
'Jaws' has 2 villains, really. During the 1st half of the film, the enemy is the mayor; more concerned with how the town's economy would be affected by the shark. He muzzles Chief Brody, which inadvertently allows more deaths to occur. And while Martin battles the mayor & his puppets on the town council, Jaws lurks in the deep; taking over the main villain role for the duration. The 2nd half of the film is the classic man vs. beast. In interviews with Spielberg, he divulged that the Jaws machine broke down so many times that they could only use/show it in certain scenes. And so, I find it ironic that this handicap actually results in one of the movie's great strengths - by keeping Jaws hidden from the audience, the film builds suspense to a high level.
It's easy to identify with Chief Martin Brody because he seems real; and that's a tribute to Roy Scheider's focused, intense performance. Richard Dreyfuss infuses Matt Hooper with spontaneity & a dry wit. Robert Shaw imbues Quint with a larger-than-life quality that makes you lean forward to hear everything that leaves his lips. It's simply a fantastic, iconic performance. Lorraine Gary is solid as Brody's supportive wife; & ditto that for Murray Hamilton as the oily Mayor of Amity.
The most memorable scene occurs when Martin Brody gets a startling 1st look at his nemesis. After casually throwing chum into the water, he momentarily turns around. When he looks back, it's into the face of the shark as it elevates from the water's surface. Brody stumbles back into the cabin & utters Jaws' most quoted line: "You're gonna need a bigger boat". Superb movie. With titillating editing, unique cinematography, realistic performances, dread-building mood, excitement, terror, dark humor, capped off with John Williams' iconic musical score (Duh duh! Duh duh!!!!) ... I honestly think that 'Jaws' is one of the best movies of all-time.