An Immortal Classic?
June, 1975. Jaws swam deep into the public consciousness, and, for better or worse, it has remained there ever since. Everyone knows the story. A great white shark wreaks havoc on a small coastal town and a local sheriff, a local fisherman, and a marine biologist team up to save the day. Everyone knows the theme song: Dun-Dun…Dun-Dun…Dun, Dun, Dun, Dun. Every household knows the name Steven Spielberg.
During a Sight and Sound directors’ poll for the greatest films of all time, Quentin Tarantino ranked Jaws among the top films on his list. Jordan Peele has praised the film for revealing “the audience’s imagination is far more powerful than what you show them” and showcasing a subtle way to tell a monster story. Mike Flanagan described it as a revelation, the movie that made him fall in love with filmmaking. Through watching Jaws, he developed an awareness of each department of filmmaking at work and learned the importance of composition and cinematography.
But I must confess, I don’t place Jaws as high on a pedestal as the average cinephile. I’m aware this is a sacrilegious opinion to hold, but the truth is every single viewing of this mid-seventies masterpiece has left me slightly unsatisfied.
The Positives
Don’t get me wrong. Jaws is not a bad movie. It’s a good one. By all means it meets the criteria for a classic. It changed Hollywood’s business model and spawned an entire new genre of animal attack movies. Spielberg’s directorial vision elevates the film far above standard B-movie material. There are beautiful shark point-of-view shots reminiscent of Creature from the Black Lagoon. Plus, there are several well-crafted Hitchcockian suspense sequences. My favorite among them is the scene where the fisherman falls into the water and is pursued by the floating dock, an inventive suggestion of the shark.
Spielberg also gives the characters a level of depth and humanity absent from Benchley’s novel and the actors portraying them definitely don’t disappoint either. My favorite performance in the film is Robert Shaw as Quint. He inhabits the character in a Marlon Brando-esque way. It’s natural. Real. His gaze, his gestures, his voice, everything about him is the embodiment of a man who lives and dies by the sea. He isn’t playing Quint. He is Quint.
A classic? Jaws can’t be denied the label.
So what are my problems with it?
Problem #1: Hooper
Outside of comedies and young adult romance dramas, I’ve never been a big fan of nerdy and geeky characters in movies. Something about their behavior annoys me. Perhaps, because most of them come off as either childish or a bit whiny. Hooper is no exception. Yeah, I know he serves as a great counterpoint to Quint’s rugged masculinity and Brody’s stoicism, but I’d much prefer a personality that is on par with the other two.
In the novel, Hooper is a college educated snob that has an affair with Ellen Brody. It’s understandable why this version of Hooper didn’t make it to the big screen. He’s not very likable and including the affair would’ve compromised Brody and Hooper’s relationship. But he’s a much more compelling character in my eyes and the affair angle would’ve added an interesting layer of conflict during the third act.
Problem #2: Spielberg Touch
Jaws, like most of Spielberg’s catalog, plays it safe. It’s a family friendly affair. My taste has always been on the opposite side of the spectrum. I like my films to be darker, brutal. I prefer them to tackle cerebral and mature themes and push plot points to the limit. This is why I’ve always preferred the work of the other movie brats over Spielberg. The films of Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, the severely underrated Brian De Palma, and Paul Schrader don’t hold back. If one of them had directed Jaws, I imagine it would’ve had the intensity of Moby Dick and the gripping horror of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. No doubt morally gray characters would’ve been front and center as well. Or maybe one of them would’ve been courageous enough to…have the shark win in the end.
Problem #3: Sharks
Sharks are beautiful creatures, but they don’t intrigue me the same way other animals do. As far as I’m concerned, they’re simply big fish with sharp teeth. I’m not a fish kind of guy. It would be more fascinating if Jaws was centered around a legendary sea monster like the kraken or a sea serpent, especially the latter.
I love snakes. They’ve been one of my favorite animals since I was a child. They’re unique. They slither instead of walk. Their skin comes in a multitude of colors and patterns. Some are venomous. Some have tails that rattle. Nearly all of them possess a sinister mystique. Snakes are just badass. My lifelong love affair with them is probably why I’ve always liked Anaconda more than Jaws.
Yes, I know. Another sacrilegious opinion. Let me explain myself.
Anaconda vs Jaws
Setting
Anaconda has a better setting. The Amazon Rainforest is more aesthetically pleasing than an All-American beach town. It’s brimming with exotic life forms and vegetation. The river is long and winding and in certain pockets you can find isolated tribes who live off the land. It’s a snapshot of a lush, prehistoric past, one that sparks my desire for wanderlust. Everybody has been to a beach. But most people have never, and many never will, enter the Amazon.
Characters
Then there are the colorful cast of characters. Jon Voight is very entertaining as narcissistic snake hunter Paul Sarone. Every damn line that comes out of his mouth is quotable. And what’s up with that accent? Hilarious. Jennifer Lopez and Ice Cube portray strong people of color several decades before it became a diversity standard. Owen Wilson and Keri Wuhrer are a vivacious, young couple that the audience can easily identify with. And let’s not forget Jonathan Hyde. He provides a lot of humor as a wealthy European that isn’t quite cut out for the strenuous life of the Amazon. Other than Quint, none of the characters in Jaws stand out to me.
Unknown vs Known
Anaconda also strikes a fine balance between the unknown and the known. In the opening scene, Danny Trejo runs from the snake on his wrecked boat. The snake is never shown. Instead, the audience is placed in its point of view as it slithers after its prey. There are several scenes like this. However, there are also scenes like Gary’s death or the epic climax at the trading post that don’t shy away from delivering action and the snake in full glory.
I’m aware there were technical issues during the making of Jaws that led Spielberg to keep the shark mostly hidden from view, but I certainly would’ve enjoyed seeing a bit more of the shark. I can’t help it. Maybe it’s because I’m Gen Z and we are a visual generation, but I don’t believe it’s always true that often what we don’t see is scarier than what we see. Sometimes, what we see is more entertaining and scarier than anything our imagination could ever conjure up.
Final Thoughts
Regardless of my opinion, Jaws is still a classic. Its cultural impact and reach can’t be denied. It has touched viewers and influenced filmmakers for decades and will continue to do so long after I’m gone.
But somewhere out there in a parallel universe, the film is less of a crowd pleasing blockbuster and more of a dark, sea horror tale. In that universe, Jaws no doubt ranks as one of my favorite films of all time and I just finished writing a blog post praising it as cinema perfection.
Like what you read? Check out my YouTube channel. In my latest video, I reimagine Jaws with a different cast, alternative plot points, and themes.