Jaws - A Classical Commentary

A strange review, but a welcome one nonetheless. For any movie with a bit of a reputation as a bonafide classic, we'll call these "Classical Commentary". These reviews will likely be shorter unless I have a ton to say. Behold, a movie I had never seen before and feel immensely awful for never seeing prior. This movie, while certainly not the greatest film as it lacks in certain visual effects and plot flow, takes its status as a true horror staple from the viceral portrayal of shark attacks, the incredible and memorable writing that holds true even today, and its characters (those of which are memorable). This is my review of Jaws!

PLOT: Simple yet effective.

The story of a killer shark terrorizing a town is effective enough storytelling from the talent of Steven Spielberg in one of his first blockbusters. Heck, most people would cite this as the first blockbuster. It created the phrase when people lined up around the block to view this movie all the way back in 1975. Point being, it's simple, it's scary, but it does overstay its welcome by 20 minutes attempting to make us sympathize with one of the characters later on. Speaking of...

CHARACTERS: Likeable... but simplistic.

That mayor is a complete idiot. Besides that, it's really easy to like most of the main characters primarily because of their simplistic goals and easy-to-understand backgrounds. However, the older sailor does get a backstory late in the game that is mostly there to make us sympathize with him before he kicks the bucket. I like the college guy and Matt, but this guy does make it a little harder to focus on the characters when we know he's probably gonna die soon. That being said, good enough characters for this film to leave an impact.

SHOTS: Iconic, but lacking.

Where this movie lacks in visual effects, it makes up for in iconic shots. The shots of the woman being devoured, the shots of the shark attacking the boat, the visual style and language this film has makes up for the fake-looking shark and how they hide it. Good show!

SOUND: John Williams, y'all!

John Williams making his first impression with most and it's in the most iconic soundtrack OF ALL TIME. You can never have watched Jaws at all or even most movies and you'll know those three notes associated with sharks. It's iconic for a reason. It also knows when to play and when to be quiet.

WRITING: Solid enough.

With iconic lines and necessary plot-building, the writing does what it needs to in order to convey this sort of story. A little hamfisted? Sure, but a lot of movies fall prey to the exposition of "As you are aware" or "as you know". This film does away with a bit of it.

VERDICT: A classic for the ages, albeit flawed.

As a metaphor for mass paranoia and panic in the midst of a disaster with political figures ignoring the issue to promote sales and further their own agenda, this film takes on a new meaning post-COVID. Overall, this film is a great example of an all-time classic. While it certainly has issues, it's a classic.

SCORE: 8.5/10