JAWS by Steven Spielberg 1975 runningtime 2Hr 5Min
...t like people in real life). The creators of Jaws (Author Peter Benchely, Director Steven Spielberg) knew how connect the feelings of the viewing audience to the fictitious community Amity. Because the characters seem so real, an audience becomes fearful for them, sympathetic towards them. In telling the story, Spielberg brings home a seemingly realistic issue to his audience. A shark is real. We know about sharks, sharp teeth and shark attacks privy to the film Jaws. A shark is something to be scared about and many people can relate to that fear. In opposition, Extra Terrestrials in the film ET (Speilberg, 1982) for example, are far from a subject most people can relate to: However, the relationship between a child and his pet (or his imaginary friend) is commonplace. Jaws uses many issues within the story; such as the death of a child, the economic status of the community, politics and a fear of the water, to hit home with its audience. The Politician in the film is the Mayor of Amity. He is concerned with the coming money-making weekend. When he finds that one of his residents is dead of a possible shark attack; then another, he is torn between closing the beach or making the money. The fear of a bad politician in a community is widespread around the United States. Many adults are concerned about the ethics of the people they vote into office. The thought of a politician steering them wrong seems pretty common. In the film, when the Mayor makes the decision to open the beach (even when he knows there is a shark problem) he puts his community at risk. This could be a real town facing similar problems and adding this political edge to the story therefore keeps the audience of the film engrossed. Then there is the shark. Sharks are frightening looking beasts. The film Jaws gave audiences a look at sharks they normally would not see. Most of us do not swim in known shark infested waters, nor have we had the misfortune of running into one by accident at the beach. In the film, audiences watched the shark seek, attack and destroy unsuspecting swimmers. The creators of the film Jaws used a series of terrifying close shots and sequences showing the destruction of docks, boats and people. Underwater shots showed us the mass of this particular great white shark, and its knowledge of its underwater environment. The shark was portrayed as an evil. A rogue whom had only the destruction of humans on its mind. In the minds of the audience, the water was not a safe place. According to many people who saw the film in the summer of 1975- they were scared to go into the water. Writer J. Hoberman in his article Don't Go Near the Water; (Artforum Magazine April 1994) remembered the New York Times reporting in 1975 that "formerly bold swimmers now huddle in groups a few yards offshore," while "waders are peering timorously into the water's edge." (13) People were afraid of the shark that was going to get them! This was because they had seen the damage, they knew how the shark would attack. What they knew really, was a fictitious version of several shark attacks. The film Jaws created "shark myths" with all of its fast action editing and close shots. The shots of Jaws made the beast look BIG. It was: Approximately 20 ft. of mechanical shark, but inter-cut with real footage of a much smaller great white. Since the film, shark attacks are well publicized when they happen and shark stories abound. All of the talk about sharks is not necessarily the truth. The film made Jaws look like a man-eater. This is not the case with most sharks says expert Richard Ellis, in an interview with Oceans Magazine (1986) Says Ellis: "Most people believe the gospel according to Jaws...People die everyday, but few of them are eaten.." (27) The film set peoples minds to think that a shark equals man-eater, when in fact most sharks only bite their prey (not eat it whole). Also, Humans are only shark prey a small percentage of the time. Shark attacks occur about 100 times per year and only thirty five of those attacks prove fatal (Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia 1995). Sequence numbered 19, titled "Shark Attack" is a sequence of the film which helps to confirm both of my points. As the scene opens, the camera pans past a kid playing a shark video game, in which he attempts to kill a shark. The camera pans past the kid, onto the full beach, where people are sunning and frolicking. No one is in the water, except Police and Coastguard boats: Searchers on the lookout for anything unusual. The Mayor of the town stands on the beach, dressed in a suit and tie. He is seen schmoozing with a TV reporter, he says: (despite assumed worries about sharks) "It's a beautiful day, and the beach is full. No, we have no problems of any sharks." (ad-lib) Later, after the interview, we follow the Mayor over to a man and his wife who are sunning. The Mayor asks them: "How come you're not in the water?" The man replies: "Well (pause) I just put on some sun lotion." The Mayor asks them in a begging tone: "There's no one in the water... Please go in the water." The man looks at his wife who looks back at him frightened, then he looks back at the Mayor, who nods his head affirmatively. The two beachgoers get up together, grab two children and hand in hand, they all walk slowly to the water. The next shot is of a helicopter zooming low over the beachfront, and of other beachgoers following this first families lead and swarm to the water. The Mayor is shown looking smug. He has, in this first portion of the sequence, kept his image up with the media, and succeeded in luring his community out onto the beach. He is not a bad man, but a politician, he must keep the community thriving! The looks on the faces of these first beachgoers we meet, keeps the viewers nerves on edge, and we prepare ourselves emotionally for what we suspect is to come. Later in this sequence, a fin appears near out on the water, a panic is stirred, and the people scamper out of the water. It is found out that the scare was incited by some kids playing a joke. They had strapped a fake fin to one of their friend's backs, and the kid swam in the water. He looked like a shark. The audience is relieved so...