Would you consider Jaws a little too slow?

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My first time watching it (I would have been around 13 years old) I definitely thought it was a little slow. But after watching it over and over again (it became a yearly summer movie) the pacing became one of the things I appreciate most about it. Nowadays I find I enjoy the quieter portions of the film most of all.



mattiasflgrtll6's Avatar
The truth is in here
Rather than slow I would call it "patient". It lets us know the characters so well that when their lives are truly endangered we really want nothing bad to happen to them. If they didn't put the calmer moments of character development and light witty dialogue in there we might still care about Brody, but we wouldn't care as much about the trio as a whole. Some fans even list Quint as their favorite character in the movie, thanks to all the endearing quirks we grew to love about him. This attention to detail is what makes Jaws such a timeless masterpiece, and contain much more substance that shark films typically have. I enjoy Deep Blue Sea for the cheesy affair that it is, but it still can't compare since the characters are mostly surface-level entertaining rather than people you genuinely get invested in.



In all seriousness though, I'd say my biggest issue with Jaws (despite feeling it was a very good movie on the whole) isn't how slow it's pacing is, since I didn't have a problem with that, but the fact that it lacked a certain amount of environmental tension on the whole, and by that, I mean that, while there was obviously a threat when people were out on the ocean, they were still completely safe when back on land, so there wasn't much tension in the atmosphere of those scenes. I mean, when you watch Alien, although there are no Deep Blue Sea-style abrupt attacks in it, there's still this mood in the air that the Xenomorph could be lurking anywhere, even in the scenes where it's clear that the alien isn't anywhere near, because the characters have no idea where it is, which is what ultimately gives that movie a leg up on Jaws in the tension department. Still, this take is based on my fourteen year-old memory of watching it on Netflix Instant, so a rewatch with more mature eyes may very well lead to that not bothering me as much as it did before, hopefully.



"How tall is King Kong ?"
but the fact that it lacked a certain amount of environmental tension on the whole, and by that, I mean that, while there was obviously a threat when people were out on the ocean, they were still completely safe when back on land, so there wasn't much tension in the atmosphere of those scenes.
It's not that sort of movie. It's not that canvas. Well, actually the second half is that, and even so, not entirely. Or more precisely, it's only progressively revealed to be so, both to the spectators and the characters.

It's a crescendo movie, about a marginal issue that can be dismissed depending on the perspective (it's just a statistical chance of an attack, not worth cancelling economically and politically important festivities). And even when the movie starts being about three people on a boat, there's still joyous, exhilarating scenes where the hunting seems all fun and giggle. Even John William's music goes all Spielberg kid stories, there :



The movie keeps progressively unmasking the nature and the magnitude of the threat. It's a bit ruined by the poster and the film's notoriety (as these things often are : omg the terminator was a robot all along), but the shark's size, power and monstrosity is only progressively revealed, in a sequence of "we'll need a bigger boat" moments. The spectator is always aware that the threat is bigger than the characters imagine, but each time the characters seem to catch up with this realization, the spectator learns that it's even bigger.

But even at the top (survivors stranded without a radio on a sinking ship), it stays a small story. Just a shark. An individual scale issue, a journal's bottom column. The Earth isn't threatened by a cosmic invasion.
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In all seriousness though, I'd say my biggest issue with Jaws (despite feeling it was a very good movie on the whole) isn't how slow it's pacing is, since I didn't have a problem with that, but the fact that it lacked a certain amount of environmental tension on the whole, and by that, I mean that, while there was obviously a threat when people were out on the ocean, they were still completely safe when back on land, so there wasn't much tension in the atmosphere of those scenes. I mean, when you watch Alien, although there are no Deep Blue Sea-style abrupt attacks in it, there's still this mood in the air that the Xenomorph could be lurking anywhere, even in the scenes where it's clear that the alien isn't anywhere near, because the characters have no idea where it is, which is what ultimately gives that movie a leg up on Jaws in the tension department. Still, this take is based on my fourteen year-old memory of watching it on Netflix Instant, so a rewatch with more mature eyes may very well lead to that not bothering me as much as it did before, hopefully.
I'd definitely recommend rewatching it, because Jaws is more about the characters, the way the shark effects them, the conflict it causes amongst the community, etc. than it is about the shark. The threat of the shark attacking anyone obviously doesn't exist on land, but the film remains great for different reasons.
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In all seriousness though, I'd say my biggest issue with Jaws (despite feeling it was a very good movie on the whole) isn't how slow it's pacing is, since I didn't have a problem with that, but the fact that it lacked a certain amount of environmental tension on the whole, and by that, I mean that, while there was obviously a threat when people were out on the ocean, they were still completely safe when back on land, so there wasn't much tension in the atmosphere of those scenes. I mean, when you watch Alien, although there are no Deep Blue Sea-style abrupt attacks in it, there's still this mood in the air that the Xenomorph could be lurking anywhere, even in the scenes where it's clear that the alien isn't anywhere near, because the characters have no idea where it is, which is what ultimately gives that movie a leg up on Jaws in the tension department. Still, this take is based on my fourteen year-old memory of watching it on Netflix Instant, so a rewatch with more mature eyes may very well lead to that not bothering me as much as it did before, hopefully.



Now that you mention it, that might actually be why I considered it slow. To add to your point, I didn't like how some of the later scenes had a more bombastic adventure score that John Williams was known for. The movie just wasn't scary enough. It was exciting as hell, but it wasn't always SCARY.


That was really it. Thanks!



It's not that sort of movie. It's not that canvas. Well, actually the second half is that, and even so, not entirely. Or more precisely, it's only progressively revealed to be so, both to the spectators and the characters.

It's a crescendo movie, about a marginal issue that can be dismissed depending on the perspective (it's just a statistical chance of an attack, not worth cancelling economically and politically important festivities). And even when the movie starts being about three people on a boat, there's still joyous, exhilarating scenes where the hunting seems all fun and giggle. Even John William's music goes all Spielberg kid stories, there :



The movie keeps progressively unmasking the nature and the magnitude of the threat. It's a bit ruined by the poster and the film's notoriety (as these things often are : omg the terminator was a robot all along), but the shark's size, power and monstrosity is only progressively revealed, in a sequence of "we'll need a bigger boat" moments. The spectator is always aware that the threat is bigger than the characters imagine, but each time the characters seem to catch up with this realization, the spectator learns that it's even bigger.

But even at the top (survivors stranded without a radio on a sinking ship), it stays a small story. Just a shark. An individual scale issue, a journal's bottom column. The Earth isn't threatened by a cosmic invasion.

The story's simplicity may easily be a result of the omissions of various subplots from the novel. I never read the novel, but apparently there's a mafia in it for whatever reason.


Guess this movie.





"How tall is King Kong ?"
The story's simplicity may easily be a result of the omissions of various subplots from the novel. I never read the novel, but apparently there's a mafia in it for whatever reason.

Guess this movie.

Mondo TV's True Story of the Titanic ? I recently watched a bewildered review of it on youtube.

And yes, the Benchley's novel has a terrible reputation, apparently all the subplots (including Brody's wife's affair with Cooper) were cut out for quality reasons as much as pacing.



It seems this thread is beginning to show the harm the expectations of genre does to our movie going experience. Since Jaws became notorious for the fear it caused in its audience, it gets labelled as a horror movie, and then because it is considered a horror movie, its success becomes entangled with how scary it is. Apparently, even during scenes that are obviously not meant to be scary. Which actually undermines the point of the film.



It should be obvious to state this, but Jaws has no obligation to create unease during its land based scenes. This doesn't mean the shark becomes irrelevant in these moments. Only that its influence is instead on the dynamics of Brodie's family and how it exposes the cynical and craven nature of the mayor's decisions to keep the beaches open. While it is fair game to talk about how frightening the scenes involving shark attacks are, it starts becoming a little weird if any criticism of the film centers around how safe the characters are while they are eating dinner in their living room.



I'm actually okay with Jaws being labelled a horror film, even if it really barely qualifies as such. My hopes are always to include as many films under the umbrella of a genre so that these narrow expectations of what a genre film is supposed to do become less rigid. Because, when we start focusing our critical lasers on whether Jaws is horror enough, and some find themselves disappointed that the entire film doesn't take place under water to maximize threat, the way we are thinking about that film has clearly been polluted by completely irrelevant 'rules'



Mondo TV's True Story of the Titanic ? I recently watched a bewildered review of it on youtube.

Yep. We know it here as Legend of the Titanic. Nowhere near as bad as Titanic: The Legend Goes On, just really dorky. Still, I'd rather pick this dork-fest than that shameless ripoff of every Disney movie known to man. I'd put the Mondo TV one on the same comedic league as The Room.



Victim of The Night
Jaws is a guy movie, so it deals with things that concern guys. There's Brody who epitomizes the concept of useless. He's a sheriff in a town that has no crime, (in the book, his wife has an affair with Hooper). Then there's the know-nothing Hooper who, despite knowing how to do things like scuba dive and pilot a boat, has mostly lived as a sheltered and pampered girl. Then there's Quint! Quint is a manly man's man. He doesn't use guy liner, or spend much time shopping for skinny jeans at the local mall.

The movie is basically a coming of age movie, where Brody and Hooper learn how to be men. The shark symbolizes a problem that needs to be dealt with, and Quint is the professor who will ultimately teach two boys how men deal with problems. When Brody has time for just one more shot, and he's the only one who can do anything, that's when he became a man.

Hooper... well, he tried.
I actually can't tell if this is really good satire or you're a crazy person. Your screen-name doesn't help.



It should be obvious to state this, but Jaws has no obligation to create unease during its land based scenes. This doesn't mean the shark becomes irrelevant in these moments. Only that its influence is instead on the dynamics of Brodie's family and how it exposes the cynical and craven nature of the mayor's decisions to keep the beaches open.
If I may piggy-back on this thought:

Something that I think that Jaws does really well is portray the rollercoaster of experience and emotion during a very specific threat.

I don't know if anyone else here lived in the DC area when the sniper attacks were happening, but that is how it is. The actual literal threat isn't there when you're in your house, or in school, or whatever. At those times, it's an uneasy background anxiety. But that anxiety spikes when you are in a place that could be dangerous. And you're sort of waiting for the next piece of news. There's a lot of unknown, and you're getting mixed messages from different "experts" about what is actually happening and how to handle it.

What the land-based scenes show really well is also the tension between action and inaction. Someone needs to deal with the shark. But does that someone need to be Brody? Risking your life to protect others at the possible cost of losing your life and your family losing their father/husband is no small choice. Those family scenes really drive home that his affection for his family is both what drives his decision to help and what makes it so hard to do.

The land-based sequences also reveal the way that many people respond to a threat when the most obvious solution (stay out of the water!) is against their own self-interest. First there's the denial ("Shark, what shark? Everyone will be fine. Get in the water!"); then there's the grasping at saying it's solved ("Yay! This dude caught a shark! Must be the one!"). In the face of greed and lack of logical thinking, someone needs to step up to protect the citizens from themselves.



Victim of The Night
Now that you mention it, that might actually be why I considered it slow. To add to your point, I didn't like how some of the later scenes had a more bombastic adventure score that John Williams was known for. The movie just wasn't scary enough. It was exciting as hell, but it wasn't always SCARY.


That was really it. Thanks!
I kinda agree, though I think the film is a masterpiece, with what you're saying here. It's scary in the first half and then morphs into an adventure film for the second. Which I usually hate (like my preference for Alien over Aliens is so large I never even understand people talking about ranking them versus each other). Which is maybe even more why I think it's a masterpiece. Navigating that shift and never losing my interest or investment at all is pretty damn good.



Victim of The Night
It seems this thread is beginning to show the harm the expectations of genre does to our movie going experience. Since Jaws became notorious for the fear it caused in its audience, it gets labelled as a horror movie, and then because it is considered a horror movie, its success becomes entangled with how scary it is. Apparently, even during scenes that are obviously not meant to be scary. Which actually undermines the point of the film.



It should be obvious to state this, but Jaws has no obligation to create unease during its land based scenes. This doesn't mean the shark becomes irrelevant in these moments. Only that its influence is instead on the dynamics of Brodie's family and how it exposes the cynical and craven nature of the mayor's decisions to keep the beaches open. While it is fair game to talk about how frightening the scenes involving shark attacks are, it starts becoming a little weird if any criticism of the film centers around how safe the characters are while they are eating dinner in their living room.



I'm actually okay with Jaws being labelled a horror film, even if it really barely qualifies as such. My hopes are always to include as many films under the umbrella of a genre so that these narrow expectations of what a genre film is supposed to do become less rigid. Because, when we start focusing our critical lasers on whether Jaws is horror enough, and some find themselves disappointed that the entire film doesn't take place under water to maximize threat, the way we are thinking about that film has clearly been polluted by completely irrelevant 'rules'
There is no way I could agree with you more. Unless you were like, "And I coffee is the nectar of the gods." Then I would agree slightly more.



I actually can't tell if this is really good satire or you're a crazy person. Your screen-name doesn't help.
The real lesson of Jaws is that being
WARNING: spoilers below
too manly will get you eaten, but being a reformed girl-man will make you a hero.


Must be why the film is so popular with 8 year old girls.