Jaws: A Film Review

                           Jaws                        

      Jaws (1975) follows Police Chief Brody during a new reign of terror for Amity Island. After finding the remains of a recent shark attack victim, Brody's idea to close the beaches is rejected by the mayor of the town, whose business revolves around these shores. After another victim is claimed to the monstrous Great White, Brody, along with oceanographer Matt Hooper and pro fisherman Sam Quint, brave the isolated sea to find and to kill the beast that lurks beneath.  

This film adaptation boasts John William’s memorable score and compelling performances by Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss.  With meticulous editing under director Steven Spielberg’s careful supervision, this film coined the phrase “summer blockbuster” and quickly maneuvered its way into the classics. The two-note score left theater-goers tense, on the edge of their seats, and waiting for the threat of the unknown to make its appearance.  A masterpiece monster movie of its time, Spielberg’s film kept audiences from visiting the beaches, even in the intense heat of the summer, due to pure terror from the infamous mechanical shark.

Spielberg, despite being a no named director at the time, had a vision. With the help of Universal Studios, he was able to bring his creative vision to life. Meticulous by nature, he left nothing to chance. With careful blocking, story boarding  and scripting, Spielberg shaped an otherwise generic monster movie story-line into what is known today as one of the best films ever made.