Movie Review: Jaws (1975)

Jaws (1975) directed by Steven Spielberg

In the early summer, some college kids are having a bonfire on the beach of the island town Amity. One girl sneaks of with a boy to go skinny dipping. He's too drunk to make it out into the water, which is lucky for him because she is killed by an unseen nemesis from underwater. The boy reports the incident to local police chief Brody (Roy Scheider). The police find what's left of her body on the shore. The medical examiner declares the cause of death as shark attack, but soon backpedals once the town council gets ahold of the news that Brody plans to close the beaches. The island depends on summer tourism. Brody reluctantly agrees to leave the beaches open, leading to another shark attack. Pandemonium breaks out on Amity Island as shark hunters and ichthyologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) come to help out with the problem. Brody eventually hires Quint (Robert Shaw), a local salty old fisherman who promises to bring in the shark. Brody bring Hooper along for the hunt. The three of them have a rough time getting along as they try to get the shark.

This movie is a classic, scaring people away from beaches since its release in 1975. The movie effectively uses the "less is more" strategy, not showing the shark till late in the movie. He's just a menacing presence with an iconic menacing theme from John Williams (who seems to be inspired by Bernard Herrman's Psycho score). The performances are all solid, with Shaw standing out as crusty Quint. He's got the gravelly demeanor and a fantastic speech that ends the "comparing of scars" scene. The movie is tightly crafted and highly enjoyable, still looking good even now, 45 years later.

Highly recommended, though definitely a strong PG rating for language, menace, and gore.