Rating of
4/4
Another classic from the master
memento_mori - wrote on 06/25/13
Possible Spoilers
Jaws was the first major blockbuster in cinema history, and received extremely positive critical response, as well as mainstream acclaim. Some movie lovers regard it as a classic, and so do I.
Steven Spielberg really got noticed after making this movie, and for good reason: it's phenomenal.
The direction, the cinematography and camera work (especially underwater), the acting, the music and the screenplay stand out as bright pros in this film, because they all work together excellently.
The characters are relatable and have their fair share of development. Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfus were very charismatic.
The music is definitely the strongest attribute. There John Williams' score is simple, but menacing and enthralling (DADADADADA DAAH-DUN).
I have heard that Spielberg and the crew encountered problems during the making, which supposedly set their film back. I agree, for there were a few flaws:
The beginnings of Steven Spielberg films are usually a little slower, getting used to the environment and characters. I think this film's introduction is a teensy bit too long. I mean, why do we have to see the police chief walk around town looking for paper for posters? But the pace picks up when we reach the middle of the film, just like The Shining.
A few moments in the film felt a little sloppy for me, but they were very minor, such as a fade out of Chief Brody's voice and cut to the next scene, when he was in the middle of talking. And some scenes felt out of place.
A few scenes were also somewhat predictable, for example when Hooper is lowered into the cage in the water, I could tell he was going to lose his stick and the shark would ram the cage, but I liked the later scenes and the finale was one of the best I've ever seen.
Despite its minor flaws (which I can EASILY forgive), Jaws is an exciting feast of suspense, which will go down in history as one of the better thrillers, if it hasn't already.
