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Jaws
Director: Steven Spielberg
IMDB labels Jaws as a adventure/drama/thriller movie, although it comes across as horror. But I think they are right in labeling the movie with these genres, because horror movies seek to scare the audience. Jaws does not seek to do that, in my opinion, although it does scare the audience tremendously in the process. Instead, Jaws seeks to explore and convey what fear can do to a person, how it consumes him or her, and how confronting that fear is the only way to overcome it. In this way, Jaws not only paved the way for horror movies in the future - without even being a horror movie - but it opened up new possibilities for the film making world in general.
I think what makes Jaws so re-watchable is the fact that it never lets loose its grip on you. Even when you know the outcome of every scene, you are dreading it, fearing it, hoping it won't happen. And then it happens but the suspense was the better part... Spielberg is an absolute genius with this movie, how he portrays the shark almost like an abstract object, invisible until near the end, representing all of fears and worries. I would totally rewatch this movie soon.
The originality here is stunning. As far as I know, nothing like this had been done before, or at least nothing to this effect. A shark/creature lurks in the darkness as everyone tries to catch it before it kills everyone. A classic enough story, but what Spielberg does with it is absolutely stunning. Every scene paves the way for the next, building a two horror staircase of building suspense.
The screenplay isn't too shabby either. "You’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat," "I don’t need this working class hero crap!" and others are so iconic and amazing lines in a movie that could have been a humor-less trudge where the only dialogue is about the technicalities of killing this shark. That's where a lot of horror movies go wrong today, and give up great characters and dialogue for effects and violence... Look to Spielberg, guys, that's how you do it.
The characters are also really iconic. The three main ones, the fisherman, oceanographer, and police chief all come together at the end to try to kill Jaws. It's a spectacular combination of three different characters with striking personalities. They're discussions, like when the fisherman tells of his war experiences, are brilliantly painted out for each of their characters and shows a true care and dedication to making colorful people come to life.
The acting is also top notch. Each of the actors embodies their characters and brilliantly conveys emotions and dialogue. Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider are the best of all, exhibiting snappy and colorful tone of voice and completely becoming their characters - Dreyfuss as a know-it-all oceanographer and Scheider as a semi-clueless police chief.
Structurally, the film all revolves around Jaws and Brody. Jaws is the one causing the action, and whatever Brody does is the action. So it's basically a tale of Brody - who is/was afraid of the water - overcoming his fear. From that standpoint, the structure is basic but works well, effective enough to convey each of the character's personal developments and reactions to a looming danger.
The pacing was good for the most part as well, which might have failed with a shark hunting movie. The second half is consumed by one long boating trip, but oddly it works, due to the journey of each of the characters during the trip. The resolution is very, very, short, only a couple of minutes, but it works with very little dialogue as well. I liked that Spielberg resisted on-land reactions to the death of the shark, and we are left satisfied that Brody and Hooper have been successful, swimming back to shore.
The themes and values of this movie ring true... The only way to overcome our fears is to face them and destroy them, as Brody does. By letting them lurk in the shadows these fears and worries will infect us and overcome us. This is what almost happens to the men on the boat in Jaws, but Brody saves the day. Although he was the one most afraid of the ocean, the last bit of dialogue confirms that is fears are gone... gone with the shark that he blew up. This is a powerful moment, and that's shocking for these types of movies, because Jaws is not an "emotionally powerful and moving" film, and it shouldn't be. But for the ending, this works perfectly, and we realize things are back to the way they were, but the fear has somehow vanished in the process.
The visuals are stunning, nothing I really need to say here. The entire opening scene is just brilliant. And in fact every time we see a victim claimed, we never see the shark, all we see it the camera - in the shark's point of view! - getting closer and closer to a person's legs. And then suddenly, we are above water and someone is screaming and getting killed. But the scary part is not the screaming, it's the approaching camera. Absolutely brilliant visuals and camera work.
John Williams had a breakthrough with Jaws. This was his first great score in my opinion, and he achieved the basis for the whole movie with just those famous two notes, which repeat over and over again in a pounding rhythm that is to convey the shark throughout these two awful and amazing hours. The music actually acts as an unconscious clue as to where the shark is and when he will attack. That means Williams had a big responsibility and could have failed - but he didn't and made one of the greatest soundtracks in history.
Jaws checks every box for a good movie... and it was an instant classic, nominated for Best Picture (but probably would have won had it not been that One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was released that seem year), and won several other oscars. People recognized the greatness of this movie the minute it came out, and ever since it has been rightly praised as one of the most influential movies of all time. It also brought the world to the attention of Spielberg, who would go on to direct to some of the greatest movies of all time. In the end, Jaws works because it's not about scaring us... it's about showing us how to confront our fears, which is in many ways a noble light in a film of dark and menacing ideals. Jaws is probably my favorite movie this year, and could possibly contend for one of my favorites of all time.
Director: Steven Spielberg
IMDB labels Jaws as a adventure/drama/thriller movie, although it comes across as horror. But I think they are right in labeling the movie with these genres, because horror movies seek to scare the audience. Jaws does not seek to do that, in my opinion, although it does scare the audience tremendously in the process. Instead, Jaws seeks to explore and convey what fear can do to a person, how it consumes him or her, and how confronting that fear is the only way to overcome it. In this way, Jaws not only paved the way for horror movies in the future - without even being a horror movie - but it opened up new possibilities for the film making world in general.
I think what makes Jaws so re-watchable is the fact that it never lets loose its grip on you. Even when you know the outcome of every scene, you are dreading it, fearing it, hoping it won't happen. And then it happens but the suspense was the better part... Spielberg is an absolute genius with this movie, how he portrays the shark almost like an abstract object, invisible until near the end, representing all of fears and worries. I would totally rewatch this movie soon.
The originality here is stunning. As far as I know, nothing like this had been done before, or at least nothing to this effect. A shark/creature lurks in the darkness as everyone tries to catch it before it kills everyone. A classic enough story, but what Spielberg does with it is absolutely stunning. Every scene paves the way for the next, building a two horror staircase of building suspense.
The screenplay isn't too shabby either. "You’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat," "I don’t need this working class hero crap!" and others are so iconic and amazing lines in a movie that could have been a humor-less trudge where the only dialogue is about the technicalities of killing this shark. That's where a lot of horror movies go wrong today, and give up great characters and dialogue for effects and violence... Look to Spielberg, guys, that's how you do it.
The characters are also really iconic. The three main ones, the fisherman, oceanographer, and police chief all come together at the end to try to kill Jaws. It's a spectacular combination of three different characters with striking personalities. They're discussions, like when the fisherman tells of his war experiences, are brilliantly painted out for each of their characters and shows a true care and dedication to making colorful people come to life.
The acting is also top notch. Each of the actors embodies their characters and brilliantly conveys emotions and dialogue. Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider are the best of all, exhibiting snappy and colorful tone of voice and completely becoming their characters - Dreyfuss as a know-it-all oceanographer and Scheider as a semi-clueless police chief.
Structurally, the film all revolves around Jaws and Brody. Jaws is the one causing the action, and whatever Brody does is the action. So it's basically a tale of Brody - who is/was afraid of the water - overcoming his fear. From that standpoint, the structure is basic but works well, effective enough to convey each of the character's personal developments and reactions to a looming danger.
The pacing was good for the most part as well, which might have failed with a shark hunting movie. The second half is consumed by one long boating trip, but oddly it works, due to the journey of each of the characters during the trip. The resolution is very, very, short, only a couple of minutes, but it works with very little dialogue as well. I liked that Spielberg resisted on-land reactions to the death of the shark, and we are left satisfied that Brody and Hooper have been successful, swimming back to shore.
The themes and values of this movie ring true... The only way to overcome our fears is to face them and destroy them, as Brody does. By letting them lurk in the shadows these fears and worries will infect us and overcome us. This is what almost happens to the men on the boat in Jaws, but Brody saves the day. Although he was the one most afraid of the ocean, the last bit of dialogue confirms that is fears are gone... gone with the shark that he blew up. This is a powerful moment, and that's shocking for these types of movies, because Jaws is not an "emotionally powerful and moving" film, and it shouldn't be. But for the ending, this works perfectly, and we realize things are back to the way they were, but the fear has somehow vanished in the process.
The visuals are stunning, nothing I really need to say here. The entire opening scene is just brilliant. And in fact every time we see a victim claimed, we never see the shark, all we see it the camera - in the shark's point of view! - getting closer and closer to a person's legs. And then suddenly, we are above water and someone is screaming and getting killed. But the scary part is not the screaming, it's the approaching camera. Absolutely brilliant visuals and camera work.
John Williams had a breakthrough with Jaws. This was his first great score in my opinion, and he achieved the basis for the whole movie with just those famous two notes, which repeat over and over again in a pounding rhythm that is to convey the shark throughout these two awful and amazing hours. The music actually acts as an unconscious clue as to where the shark is and when he will attack. That means Williams had a big responsibility and could have failed - but he didn't and made one of the greatest soundtracks in history.
Jaws checks every box for a good movie... and it was an instant classic, nominated for Best Picture (but probably would have won had it not been that One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was released that seem year), and won several other oscars. People recognized the greatness of this movie the minute it came out, and ever since it has been rightly praised as one of the most influential movies of all time. It also brought the world to the attention of Spielberg, who would go on to direct to some of the greatest movies of all time. In the end, Jaws works because it's not about scaring us... it's about showing us how to confront our fears, which is in many ways a noble light in a film of dark and menacing ideals. Jaws is probably my favorite movie this year, and could possibly contend for one of my favorites of all time.