Film Road to Halloween: Jaws (1975)

The road to Halloween is paved with good films. Wherein we countdown to the spirited season with a hundred doses of horror. 60 days to go.

There are certain films that I know people will be shocked that I haven’t seen in my 21 years of life. One example of this was Jaws, which I actually only caught up on earlier this year. It is one film that I knew I needed to watch, especially seeing how important it is even in the film industry to this day. When a chance to see Jaws on the big screen came up in July, I just knew this was a perfect opportunity to finally witness this classic for the first time.

I don’t think I need to properly introduce the film, but I will do so anyway just for context. Jaws is a 1975 thriller/drama directed by Steven Spielberg. Starring Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss, this film takes place in the summer at Amity Island, a small summer resort town. When a man-eating great white shark attacks visitors at the beach of the local town, a police chief (Scheider), a marine biologist (Dreyfuss) and a professional shark hunter (Shaw) come together to try and kill the shark and end the trauma.

“There is a reason that Jaws won Best Original Dramatic Score and Best Sound at the Oscars.”

How it took me this long to see this film is beyond me, because I fully understand why everyone loves this film. Of course, the first thing you think of when you think of Jaws is the iconic score, particularly when the shark is preparing to attack. It is the perfect way of building up suspense and is dramatic and bold, just as it should be. I was worried that it would take me out due to how iconic it now is, but it still works in the context of the film. There is a reason that Jaws won Best Original Dramatic Score and Best Sound at the Oscars.

All of the performances in Jaws are superb, and it is hard to pick out a stand out from the cast. If I had to pick a favourite though, I may end up going for Roy Scheider who plays Brody. There is something about Brody that is extremely likeable and makes you cheer on the underdog in the film. He is that heroic character that, whilst not particularly strong or heroic by definition, represents the human side in all of us. It is that compassion and care that makes us cheer on Brody and the team, and Scheider plays that side brilliantly here.

What ends up making this film work is a well-balanced script that takes into account the story and the thrills, leaving everyone satisfied no matter what they were going in to see. One problem that critics had with the original novel was that the characters felt poorly written, instead putting emphasis on the shark itself. Yes, whilst the shark stuff is fantastic and fun to watch, this film has heart and great characters that propel the story.

“[The] presentation near the start of the film works so well to set up the characters and their priorities.”

The narrative is strong, and there are clear arguments made by both sides in terms of keeping the island open for summer. We obviously do not want the island to be open for the safety of the visitors, but the characterisation of the mayor works because he just thinks about his town and the money. And this presentation near the start of the film works so well to set up the characters and their priorities.

When I think of a film like this being made in 1975, I expected the shark to look terrible due to a lack of special effect and CGI. However, I think the mechanical shark was presented in a way to actually make it somewhat lifelike, and it never actually took me out of the film. This is down to the editing of this film, which also won an Oscar.

Between the blood splattering around, the silhouettes to suggest the shark rising up and coming to attack, and a mix of different shots such as close-ups alongside quick cuts/ This not only heightens the horror aspect of the film, but helps create the illusion that the shark is a real creature here.

This is a film that I am glad I saw on the big screen, because it is a beautiful film to watch. From the lighting to the cinematography, this film is very well made and a lot of time went in to make sure every shot was well done. The production design is stunning, and very much made me want to go and visit Amity Island and the little houses that they had set up. I was especially impressed with the production design of the boat, especially when it starts becoming wrecked. It looked very real and convincing to me that it was actually getting destroyed by the shark.

“There is a great balance between drama and thriller, and it never feels too heavy on one or the other.”

If I had to point out a flaw in this film, it is that I do not think the second half is as strong story-wise as the first half. For me, I loved the drama of having a conflict about the island being safe and watching the mayor argue with Chief Brody about what is best for the public. When Brody, Quint and Hooper head off to the seas to catch the great white shark, it becomes more purely focused on a thriller and character-driven story.

For some people, this may be their favourite part of the film, and I can understand why. However, I was left invested in Brody’s family and the drama with the mayor, and there is no real conclusion to that aside from the fact that peace can be restored in the island. Even if they added one extra scene to showcase the island after the trauma that occurred, I think it would have tied the entire narrative together.

Aside from that though, I can now definitely say that this is a film that you must check out at some point in your life. Whilst there are some classic films to come for me that I feel are overhyped, this is certainly not one of them. There is a great balance between drama and thriller, and it never feels too heavy on one or the other. With great characters to cheer on, a fantastic musical score and beautiful cinematography and editing to enhance what is on the screen, I would recommend not only seeing it, but seeing it in the biggest way that you can: a cinema screen.