Since it was Steven Spielberg’s birthday I thought I would speak about his greatest movie.
It is a shame it was his second movie out of his 36 of something. but keep trying Steven you may still top it!
Jaws (1975)
Directed by Steven Spielberg, Written by Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb and possibly John Milius, Based on the novel “Jaws” by Peter Benchley, Starring Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw & Richard Dreyfuss.
In the New England tourist town Amity Island a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping. The town police chief Martin Brody (Scheider) wants to close the beaches, but the bureaucratic mayor overrules him fearing the loss of tourist revenue would affect the town and damage his chances of reelection. Ichthyologist Matt Hooper (Dreyfuss) and the surly veteran Captain Quint (Shaw) team up with Chief Brody to hunt down and kill the aquatic predator.
This film was such a hit they coined the term “blockbuster” to describe its success due to people queuing around the block to see it. What is amazing is this is an example of a film that was mega popular and made loads of cash “Boffo box office” but stands the test of time and is a stone-cold classic.
This film does not get old because it is so well-made it now looks like an immaculate period piece and is regarded as a perfect film. This film is what cinema is all about.
The cinematography by Bill Butler is stunning throughout. The editing of the film by Verna Fields is immaculate and of course, the John Williams score is legendary and does make the movie the thrill ride that it is.
This film is laden with Iconic shots, iconic lines, legendary performances, one of the best monologues in cinema history, and perhaps the best-executed jump scares I’ve ever seen.
I think we have all heard the stories about the making of Jaws but it is important to remember loads of the people in Amity who just look and seem so real are non-actors the are locals of “Martha’s Vineyard” where the film was shot just playing themselves it makes the town feel so plausible.
You care about these characters and the film is grounded in the relationships of the trio that are hunting the shark but you also care about the population of the town and Brody’s family and that human connection is what elevates Jaws from being a standard 70’s creature feature and being a film that has stood the test of time.
You should own Jaws on Blu-ray or even on 4K UHD disc it is a must-have for any film buff!
Rodger Kastel the artist who painted the iconic Jaws poster sadly passed away this year on the 8th of November 2023 he was 92.
