Jaws

In 1974, novelist, Peter Benchley published a book titled, “Jaws.” Set in small town located in the middle of Long Island, a young woman gets killed by a great white shark. Police chief, Martin Brody investigates her death. Suddenly, the shark eats another one, a young boy. Not willing to let other people die, Brody teams up with marine biologist, Matt Hooper & World War II veteran turned shark hunter, Quint. Together, they must put aside their differences and stop the shark. The book caught Universal Pictures’ attention to buy the films rights and adapt it on the big screen.

Fresh from making Goldie Hawn’s movie, “The Sugarland Express,” Steven Spielberg signed on to direct Jaws with Peter Benchley himself writing the screenplay. Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss & Robert Shaw won the roles of Brody, Hooper & Quint.

Released in 1975, (same year Dog Day Afternoon came out) it received critical acclaim and became the highest-grossing film of the year earning $477,916,625. Adjusted for inflation, $1,198,431,667. DANG! Jaws sets a benchmark in movie history paving the wave of a summer blockbuster, high concept, (what if scenario) and a key influence in the New Hollywood era. In 2001, Jaws was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Jaws spawned a franchise consisting of three sequels, video games, merchandise and a now defunct ride at Universal Studios Orlando, Florida. It was replaced by a section inspired by Harry Potter. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jaws, I wanna share my thoughts on this gem to see if it holds up. By the way, Steven Spielberg’s working on his next project is an untitled sci-fi movie starring Emily Blunt. As of June 20, 2025, the title hasn’t been confirmed.

It doesn’t matter if SPOILERS are listed. Jaws has been referenced or parodied many times.

Full & Empty Qualities

Full: Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss & Robert Shaw all did a terrific job for their respective performances.

Steven Spielberg did a great job directing.

John Williams orchestrated the soundtrack. Especially the shark’s sinister theme. Whenever something happens, you know the shark’s ready for chow time.

Scare Factor heavily relies on build-up and the citizens screaming in terror.

Random Thought: My dad introduced me to Jaws when I was a kid. We used to own a VHS copy. Honestly, I didn’t get scared. Only things that made me scared were the giant spiders from “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” & “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

Fun Fact 1: Notable filmmakers listed below mentioned Jaws as one of their favorite films and an influence on their work.

• Peter Jackson
• Kevin Smith
• Paul Thomas Anderson
• Christopher Nolan
• Robert Rodriguez
• Gareth Edwards
• Neil Blomkamp
• Roland Emmerich
• M. Night Shyamalan

Fun Fact 2: The infamous line, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat,” is often misquoted as “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

Fun Fact 3: In honor of the 50th anniversary, Alamo Drafthouse recently sold a popcorn bucket designed after the shark.

Cinematography was shot perfectly. A few shots underwater, means you’re obviously seeing through the shark’s point of view.

Pacing didn’t feel like a turtle crossing the road. I was hooked from the get-go.

Practical Effects were heavily involved creating the shark. He’s nicknamed, Bruce. They still hold up.

Brody’s chemistry with Hooper & Quint serves as the main highlight.

Character Development involving Brody. He manages to overcome his fear of swimming in order to defeat the shark.

Unlike crappy old school Horror films from the 1930s-1960, the shark’s already established since the opening. Even though we don’t get a glimpse of him towards the end, you can feel his presence when he chomps off a girl in the prologue. It was Steven’s idea to keep the shark’s face offscreen in favor of seeing his prey getting chewed without actually seeing the shark himself. I gotta give Mr. Spielberg some Bonus Points for making a right decision.

The film’s influenced by monster movies including “Godzilla” & “King Kong.”

We learn about Quint’s backstory. He was a sailor during World War II who survived the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. His fellow sailors were killed by sharks. Thus, he develops a grudge towards sharks. His pride costs him to get himself eaten by the shark.

My favorite line is, “Smile you son of a… (BOOM!)

Primary Themes are Survival, Fear Pride & Teamwork. Each one’s handled maturely.

Empty: I know it was made in the ’70s, but Mayor Vaughn smoking in a hospital doesn’t look acceptable and makes it a tad dated. Many Years Later, hospitals have a no smoking policy. They don’t want patients to develop a case of secondhand smoking.

The Final Verdict: A-

It’s gonna sound controversial, I wouldn’t consider Jaws as a flawless masterpiece. Don’t get me wrong, it still holds up regardless of one gripe. Jaws continues to influence future filmmakers to make their own summer blockbuster. My favorite movie of 1975 is “Dog Day Afternoon.”