Jaws Fifty

Jaws hit the big screen half a century ago. It subsequently became the pioneer of the “summer blockbuster” in the US, and pretty much an instant global sensation. To celebrate the 50-year anniversary of this phenomenon, special screenings are being put on in cinemas across the world this year. In the US, it gets a week-long release in theaters nationwide through this upcoming Labor Day weekend - a welcome digression from the typically glossy, soulless fare out there.

Recently, I asked a tennis friend of mine if he was a fan of Jaws, the movie that came out 50 years ago. His paraphrased response: Eh, no, not really… I saw it ages ago when I was a kid and don’t really remember too much about it, except of course for that famous line from the police chief (which he quoted back to me perfectly)!

Jaws is recognised by many as a “cinematic masterpiece”. That is to say, a whole bunch of ingredients came together to realise a piece of art that has made an indelible impact within the movie industry, and indeed within pop culture. Yes, it’s got some blood and gore (a lot less than people expect/remember), but that is entirely secondary to the main thrust of the picture which is all about good old-fashioned honest storytelling and seamless character development. Adapted from the Peter Benchley novel, it truly was a groundbreaking movie in terms of cinematography, editing, brute-force special effects, and iconic music score, all of which masterfully created another level of suspense for which moviegoers were unprepared.

The lore surrounding the making of this movie has certainly been well documented over the years. Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story was produced to mark this year’s anniversary. No matter what business you’re in, the very best projects tend to have their fair share of pain, struggle, good fortune, and above all, a stubbornness to succeed.

For some of the main participants, like Steven Spielberg (director) and John Williams (composer), we might borrow this famous quote:

Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration

[Attributed to Thomas Eddison]

And, to be honest, that’s really just put in there to allow me to follow up with this quote:

Invention, my dear friends, is 93% perspiration, 6% electricity, 4% evaporation, and 2% butterscotch ripple.

[Willy Wonka - Gene Wilder]

Jaws is an example of a great piece of movie magic. It has soul. It is an original.

I encouraged my tennis friend to go rewatch the movie in a theatre this weekend to get a grown-up’s perspective!

What’s in a Name?

Some bonus material in Benchley’s book includes a copy of the brainstorming ideas for the novel’s title.

Here’s a selection from his list:

Some Quotes from the Movie

Couldn’t very well finish up without a few lines from the movie…

Mr. Vaughn, what we are dealing with here is a perfect engine, an eating machine. It's really a miracle of evolution. All this machine does is swim and eat and make little sharks, and that's all.

[Hooper - Richard Dreyfuss]

Y'all know me. Know how I earn a livin'. I'll catch this bird for you, but it ain't gonna be easy. Bad fish. Not like going down the pond chasin' bluegills and tommycods. This shark, swallow you whole. Little shakin', little tenderizin', an' down you go. And we gotta do it quick, that'll bring back your tourists, put all your businesses on a payin' basis. But it's not gonna be pleasant. I value my neck a lot more than three thousand bucks, chief. I'll find him for three, but I'll catch him, and kill him, for ten. But you've gotta make up your minds. If you want to stay alive, then ante up. If you want to play it cheap, be on welfare the whole winter. I don't want no volunteers, I don't want no mates, there's just too many captains on this island. $10,000 for me by myself. For that you get the head, the tail, the whole damn thing.

[Quint - Robert Shaw]

You’re gonna need a bigger boat!

[Chief Brody - Roy Scheider]