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Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975)

Offscreen, 2018-11, Vol.22 (11)

Copyright Donald Totaro Nov 2018 ;EISSN: 1712-9559

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  • Title:
    Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975)
  • Author: Buck, Douglas
  • Subjects: Beaches ; Independence Day ; Motion picture directors & producers ; Remakes & sequels ; Spielberg, Steven (1946- )
  • Is Part Of: Offscreen, 2018-11, Vol.22 (11)
  • Description: Mayor Vaughn (brilliant character actor Murray Hamilton) delivering one of the many pitch-perfect speeches in the film (I mean, I gotta wonder, was it Hamilton or Spielberg who decided on that sublime inflection on that last word ‘July’), working – in true conniving politician fashion — to convince the incredulous Chief of Police Brody (Roy Scheider) on the importance of ignoring all that pesky evidence of a shark in the area so they can keep those tourist money-making beaches open A massive great white shark (otherwise known as ‘Bruce’, the dysfunctional, oft-sinking mechanical production nightmare, causing more havoc and gobbling up more precious production hours than even the worst diva sitting in their trailer refusing to come out for their close up) decides to set up its feeding grounds right off the shores of fictional Amity Island… just in time for the swarm of tourists to storm the beaches off the picaresque white picket town for the summer holiday… From the immensely likeable Roy Scheider (who was nowhere as warm when I spoke with him on the phone as a film student asking him if he’d like to do an interview discussing his collaboration with director William Friedkin on Sorceror to which he angrily replied “I refuse to say a single word about that prick!” and hung up) as the beleaguered Chief of Police, new to Amity and the job, thought of as a bit of an outsider (which continues through to his presence on the boat amongst the far more confident seamen Hooper and Quint, cementing him again in our story as our everyman and continuing audience access point into the tale), to the grizzled larger-than-life veteran Robert Shaw as the salty near-mythic tough-guy shark fisherman figure Quint, contrasted against the young and energetic rich kid oceanographer Hooper played by cocky newcomer Richard Dreyfuss, the lead male trifecta is brilliantly cast (something in those early days that Spielberg had a near unerring eye for, a trait shared with the best of directors). [...]I can’t think of a single memorable (or really any) role in a film they’ve done otherwise. [...]I’d argue Hank Searls’ novelization of Jaws 2 is a far more enjoyable read, with its subplots revolving around Brody getting dangerously involved with town gangsters determined the beaches stay open nicely adding dimension to the shark tale, rather than frustratingly taking time away (Searl’s adaption for the awful fourth entry, Jaws: The Revenge though… not so good… not sure that’s all his fault though as the entire concept of that film is gobsmackingly wrongheaded – but, again, more on that one in a later post).
  • Publisher: Montreal: Donald Totaro
  • Language: English
  • Identifier: EISSN: 1712-9559
  • Source: Freely Accessible Arts & Humanities Journals
    ProQuest Central
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