What is there to say about "JAWS" that hasn't already been said? "JAWS" was the first summer blockbuster- it changed the way we went to movies, the way we think of movies, and the way we make movies. It pretty much changed EVERYTHING about movies. This movie made Steven Spielberg's career, and is STILL one of his finest films. Hell, it's still one of the finest films of all time.
Based on Peter Benchley's bestselling novel of the same name, "JAWS" tells the story fictional Amity Island, off the coast of New York. The small resort island of Amity finds itself being terrorized by a gigantic great white shark during tourist season, and the local police chief, a marine scientist, and a grizzly old fisherman set out to capture and kill the great beast. It's simple. And effective.
"JAWS" starts off with one of the most terrifying scenes in motion picture history. In the scene, a young lady decides to foolishly take a midnight skinny-dip in the ocean and is attacked and eaten by an unseen creature in the dark water. Due to budget restraints and studio pressure, young Spielberg decided to wisely keep the shark unseen in the opening scene and most of the movie. Instead, we are treated to POV shots of the shark itself and John Williams' legendary and iconic score, which creates the illusion of the absent mechanical shark (which was problem-ridden from day one...). It works magnificently. That first ten minutes of "JAWS" are quite terrifying. Fortunately for us, Spielberg and crew were able to get Bruce, the mechanical shark, functioning by the slam-bang climax, and that, mixed with actual footage of great whites deliver an enormously satisfying conclusion.
"JAWS" quickly became a pop culture phenomenon and a box-office behomoth. It became the biggest grossing film in history at the time. In 78 days, it overtook "The Godfather" as the highest-grossing film in the North American box-office, and became the first film ever to pass the $100 million mark in rentals. By 1977, "JAWS" had an amazing gross revenue of $400 million worldwide.
Besides making a huge financial splash, "JAWS" also started a mass hysteria and fear of sharks in general and of the ocean. Very similar to Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" in how that film terrified audiences of taking a shower, "JAWS" made tons of people very afraid to get in the water. It actually caused reduced beach attendance in 1975, and shark sightings increased dramatically all over the world because of the film. It's actually still viewed as responsible for perpetuating a negative stereotype about sharks in their natural habitat. Spielberg masterfully pulls the marionette strings- we are his puppets, and he has total control over his audience. When he wants us to get scared, he pulls the strings and we get scared. It's just that easy.
