Jaws
Director-Steven Spielberg
Release Date- June 20, 1975
For Amity Island the summer season has always been a time
of surf, sand, and tourism. That is, until, a ferocious great white begins
eating swimmers. Chief Martin Broody (Roy Scheider) attempts to close the
beaches, but is overruled by the mayor. A boy is eventually devoured and all of
Amity is thrown into a shark hunting frenzy. A tiger shark is killed, but with
the aid of Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), Broody discovers that the wrong
shark was killed. Broody employs the help of a shark hunter, Quint (Robert Shaw),
who reluctantly agrees to help. Quint, Hooper and Broody travel on Quint’s boat
the Orca to hunt down the real killer shark. In the end Captain Quint is eaten,
while Broody and Hooper survive after Broody blows the shark up using a rifle
and dive tank.
The non-diegetic score used in this film plays a key role
in creating suspense for the film. Each time the viewer watches this film and the
ominous music begin to play, the viewer understands tragedy will soon strike. Without this brilliant score, composed by
John Williams, the scenes would have lost most of the suspense. The production
department for Jaws managed to not only create beautiful sets and scenery, but
also a shark that even with multiple problems, could still be menacing with
only a fin slicing through the water.
From the mechanical shark malfunctioning to the camera boat sinking
during the shoot, it is quite impressive that the film was even completed (which
it almost was not).
When Spielberg made Jaws he was just an amateur director
with a few films under his belt. What Spielberg didn’t know was that Jaws would
launch his career to the eventual living legend he is today. Spielberg’s use of
non-diegetic score to cue the audience in to the impending doom of a swimmer is
in my opinion one of the most successful uses of suspense I have ever viewed.
Spielberg’s use of suspense was so good that it even seemed to irk the master
of suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock. Spielberg’s use of his production
department is what, saved Jaws in the end. A prime example of this is when the
mechanical sharks used in the shoot refused to work properly. Spielberg and his
effects team then decided that the “fin” was all that they needed to create a
sense of fear for the viewer.
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