Jaws
Steven Spielberg may have cut his teeth on the tense thriller Duel and the character-driven road picture Sugarland Express, but nothing prepared audiences for the two-note pulse of John Williams’s fabulous score. Jaws is a simple monster story – police chief Brody, marine biologist Hooper and shark hunter Quint setting sail to kill a 25-foot great white that has transformed Amity Island into a nightmare – but Spielberg’s gift for everyday detail, from kids begging for “just ten more minutes” in the water to a father wrestling with his new responsibilities, grounds the terror in a world we recognise.
Funny to think it almost never happened: a young Spielberg was poised to make a Thomas Crapper biopic – yes, about the toilet invento – until he came upon Peter Benchley’s shark script on a producer’s desk and pulled the chain on that idea forever. The result was pure box-office dynamite: Jaws hauled in 485 million dollars, unleashed a tsunami of T-shirts, mugs and inflatable sharks.
Behind the scenes, he surrounded himself with veterans: Bill Butler’s handheld, sun-soaked camerawork created a sense of immediacy long before steadicams; John R. Carter’s Oscar-winning sound design made every creak feel like a heartbeat of dread; John Williams’s sparse theme has become the world’s shorthand for impending doom; and Verna Fields’s razor-sharp editing masked the admittedly rubbery shark whenever it threatened to break the spell.
Over the years, critics have teased out hidden meanings – but most film lovers simply found Jaws to be one hell of a ride. Half a century later, those set pieces still hit like tidal waves, and the film’s blend of relatable characters and pure suspense remains unmatched. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Jaws is back in cinemas and on blu ray in stunning restored prints, and it’s streaming on all the major platforms for those who prefer the safety of their own living rooms. Load up on popcorn, hit play – or take a seat in the cinema – but watch it at your peril.
