Synopsis (according to imdb.com)
When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and grizzled fisherman set out to stop it.
LET ME EXPLAIN...
While not considered a typical horror film, some movie lists rank this as the #1 scariest movie of all time. Why? Well, for one thing, sharks are real, and people have been attacked by sharks in real life (I don't recall hearing about too many dead guys coming back to become a serial killer while wearing a hockey mask, or a burn victim being able to murder people via their dreams). In other words, it's the fear that something like this could actually happen.
For another thing, I heard this movie had a devastating effect on beach attendance the year it came out. I can't think of another movie that has done something like that in society (Psycho didn't stop people from staying in hotels or taking showers; "Alien" hasn't stopped mankind's desire to explore outerspace, etc.). One could argue that "JAWS" is the most influential movie ever.
All that being said, this isn't a straight-up horror flick. It's also an adventure movie and - unlike virtually all horror movies - has some absolutely terrific acting.
What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
Aside from its incredible influence on popular culture, this is also a flat out well-made film. Its direction, story, cinematography, and score are all terrific. But it's the acting that stands out to me more than anything. The entire film is well acted, especially by Shaw, Scheider, and Dreyfus. In fact, one of my favorite scenes of all time is when those three guys are in the cabin of the boat at night talking. The conversation goes from silly to eery through nothing more than top-notch acting and great writing (Robert Shaw's description of being on the USS Indianapolis - a true event in history - is extremely chilling - see the video clip below). "JAWS" was nominated for 4 Academy Awards, winning three of them (Film Editing, Score, and Sound).
Complaints:
The scene when Dreyfus is in the cage underwater, getting attacked by the shark. For some reason, it really bothers me that the shots underwater don't match up with the above-water shots from the boat. What do I mean...?
Underwater Shot: Shark is tearing the cage apart, with parts of its body thrashing in and out of the water...
Above-water Shots: No sign of a shark - or fin, or anything - breaching the water during the attack.
It's really a pretty minor continuity issue, but it just bugs me every time I watch it.
LET ME SUM UP...
Very well-made horror/adventure film that has arguably influenced society more than any other. Very good acting and film-making all around.
MY RATING: 9/10 (No change from my previous rating)
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