Jaws

Jaws, American suspense and horror film, released in 1975, that was directed by Steven Spielberg and is considered the first summer blockbuster. Based on the 1974 novel of the same name by author Peter Benchley, it tells the story of a great white shark that terrorizes a beach resort town. The film not only broke box office records after its release but also changed the way Hollywood marketed and distributed films, especially those released during the summer.

Summary

Set on fictional Amity Island, the film opens with a shark attack on a young woman during a late-night swim after a beach party. After the local coroner determines the cause of death, Amity Island’s new police chief, Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), orders the beaches closed. Fearing the news will damage the summer tourism economy, Mayor Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) pressures the coroner to change the cause of death to a boating accident and persuades Brody to keep the beaches open. When another swimmer is killed, the beaches close and the town sets a bounty on the shark.

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After local fishermen catch and kill a shark, Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), a young oceanographer called in as an adviser, examines it and determines that it is not the same shark terrorizing the town. Hooper tells the mayor that the killer shark is a much larger one, a great white shark that he describes as “a perfect engine, an eating machine.” The mayor ignores him and orders the beaches open.

Another attack occurs during the Fourth of July weekend, and the mayor finally agrees to close the beaches and hire the services of Quint (Robert Shaw), an eccentric grizzled shark hunter. The second half of the film follows Quint, Brody, and Hooper at sea on their epic journey to catch the great white shark.

Production

Jaws was Spielberg’s second feature-length film, after The Sugarland Express (1974). It went well over budget and production time, with many delays and difficulties caused by Spielberg’s decision to forgo the use of a water tank or an inland locale for most of the movie’s ocean scenes. The primary filming location was Martha’s Vineyard, an island off the coast of Massachusetts. It was the first major motion picture set at sea to be shot on the ocean.

Additionally, difficulties with the mechanical sharks constructed for the film prompted Spielberg to find ways to convey the presence of the shark in the water without showing the shark itself. One of these methods was to use foreboding music to signal the shark’s approach. Composer John Williams created an ominous film score—punctuated by a simple but suspenseful repetition of two alternating notes—that became one of the most recognized pieces of music in cinematic history.

Marketing and critical reception

After the film’s completion, it was heavily promoted on television with 30-second trailers in the week leading up to its release. Prior to Jaws and a few other movies of this era, such as actor Charles Bronson’s vehicle Breakout, also released in 1975, most Hollywood studios considered television advertising to be too expensive.

Another newer marketing strategy was the film’s widespread distribution on its opening weekend, in more than 400 theatres across the United States. Before Jaws, films typically first opened in a major city, then debuted in other cities and towns over the course of several weeks. Summertime releases were also typically reserved for lesser-quality films, as audiences at the time tended to avoid going to the movies during the summer.

After Jaws, such new marketing tactics became the standard for so-called summer blockbusters, or action films that attracted younger audiences and were expected to perform well at the box office. Jaws easily broke box office records previously set by The Godfather (1972) and The Exorcist (1973), grossing a then unprecedented $100 million within 60 days.

Jaws earned mixed reviews from critics. A few, however, such as Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper, praised its strong characterization and performances. Ebert also commended its lack of gratuitous violence, noting in his 1975 review, “It has the necessary amount of blood and guts to work—but none extra.” Many aspects of the film, such as its musical score, became iconic. A line of dialogue spoken by Brody to Quint during the shark hunt, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat,” is considered one of the most famous lines in film history. Equally famous is a chilling monologue by Quint that details his experience as a survivor of the USS Indianapolis, a naval ship whose sinking by a Japanese submarine in World War II resulted in the ship’s surviving crew waiting four days to be rescued as they clung to wreckage in shark-infested waters.

Legacy and honours

The original film spawned three sequels—Jaws 2 (1978), Jaws 3-D (1983), and Jaws: The Revenge (1987)—none of which involved Spielberg or were as well received. It also inspired numerous horror films about “monster” animals in the water, such as Orca: The Killer Whale (1977), Piranha (1978), and Alligator (1980). At the 1976 Academy Awards, Jaws won for best film editing, best original score, and best sound. It was nominated for best picture, but Spielberg was not nominated for directing. Nonetheless, it is the film that signaled his career as a major filmmaker and cinematic storyteller. Jaws is included on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 greatest American films of all time. In 2001 it was added to the National Film Registry, a film preservation program established by the U.S. Library of Congress that selects films of cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.

Production notes and credits

• Studio: Universal Pictures
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Producers: David Brown, Richard Zanuck
• Writers: Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb
• Music: John Williams
• Running time: 124 minutes

Cast

• Roy Scheider (Chief Martin Brody)
• Richard Dreyfuss (Matt Hooper)
• Robert Shaw (Quint)
• Murray Hamilton (Mayor Larry Vaughn)
• Lorraine Gary (Ellen Brody)
• Carl Gottlieb (Meadows)
• Jeffrey Kramer (Deputy Hendricks)
• Susan Backlinie (Chrissie Watkins)
• Lee Fierro (Mrs. Kintner)
• Peter Benchley (Interviewer)