"Jaws" is one of the best films, PERIOD...

[DerekG]

Although Spielberg's "Jaws" is a critically acclaimed movie, I'm often floored that it rarely makes an appearance on people's lists of favorite films. Let me be blunt, folks: "Jaws" is the second greatest modern American film, only Coppola's "The Godfather" has surpassed it. This movie belonged on AFI's Top Ten, not "The Graduate".

People use the adjective "Hitchcockian" to describe Spielberg's approach to directing the movie. This isn't fair, because "Jaws" is better crafted than ANY Hitchcock film made, including "Vertigo". Hitchcock never had characters as complex as Brody, Quint and Hooper; nor did the master of suspense ever unearth a primal terror so potent that it lasted two hours. There is not one scene that doesn't propel the story forward, nor is their one that doesn't deepen the film's myriad of characters.

Convince me that "Jaws" is not one of the ten greatest American films.

[THUNDER HANDS]

1. once you saw the shark

You kept looking for a big mechanical hallibut to feed it.

:P

[joeybee12]

2. It's not great because it doesn't hold up over time

I saw it in the theaters and was scared out of my wits.

Saw it recently on DVD--the shark doesn't look real, and without that, the flimsy, Spielberg-esque manipulative plot really falls flat.

You could make a case that it's one of the most influential films--since it spawned what is known today as the summer blockbuster, but hardly great. Sorry.

[FlashHarry]

5. Respectfully, you're wrong. The shark is incidental--a maguffin.

It's a character study/quest myth that grows in power with each viewing. (The 1933 version of King Kong looks fake, too, but it's still a great film.) And as for the plot, well, it too is almost incidental. The shark is the white whale to Quint's Ahab. As the two move inexorably toward one another, we know that one or both must perish in their all-consuming lust for each other. "Jaws" is one of the top ten best movies ever made by Hollywood, IMHO.

[joeybee12]

11. You see, I don't buy the character study

I think it's just a thin plot written by Hollywood hacks. Nothing even remotely interesting in the characters.

[FlashHarry]

16. When was the last time you saw it?

A 'thin plot written by Hollywood hacks?' Don't you think that's a bit harsh? I mean, come on! Armageddon was a thin plot written by Hollywood hacks, for sure--but Jaws?

Personally, I think it transcends plot. It's best just to get caught up in the feel--the claustrophobia of the boat, set against the backdrop of the infinite ocean. The unstoppable plot device below, bent on nothing more than 'swimming, eating and making baby sharks.' The initial enmity between Hooper and Quint, later calmed by their mutual love of and respect for the sea. The wonderfully subtle interaction between Brody and his youngest son at dinner, attempting, but ultimately failing, to alleviate the tension of unspoken, impending doom.

Give it another viewing. Trust me.

Remember, 'It's only an island if you look at it from the sea.'

[bif]

3. Actually I've never seen it.

n/t

[7th_Sephiroth]

4. i have the boat from jaws

the little sailboat the kid got for his birthday, i have the exact same model :evilgrin:

[RebelOne]

6. Actually, I think only the music was memorable.

[HEyHEY]

7. I agree it is an awsome movie

The characters were amazing - especially Quint

[jonoboy]

8. can never pass it up

when a re-run is shown on TV I have to watch every 'Jaws' film..I think you may be right. best film ever. terrible film but the best.

[Blue_Chill]

9. Umm no it isn't

For anyone that knows anything about sharks you didn't like the film off the bat because it completely demonizes the animal. It never gives a reason why this animal is behaving so strangely and it overblows the diffculty of killing such an animal.

It's result is that it got the world excited about the notion of killing this wonderful animal and contributed to it's currently endangered state.

[DerekG]

12. Irrevelant, Blue_Chill...

"Moby Dick" may be the great American novel, and yet it demonizes the whale. Does this mean Melville shouldn't be read in college?

Besides, Peter Benchley has since become an environmentalist, seeking to repair the insidious image of the shark he created.

[Blue_Chill]

15. Irrevelent? You only commented on half my post.

The other half said it sucked because anyone with any knowledge on sharks was sitting there thinking "OOOO.K. So this is a "super" shark of some kind."

[jus_the_facts]

10. "......you'd like that wouldn't cha...."

...."...prolly get yer name in the National Geographic!" :crazy:

I saw this movie when I was a wee lass at the theater...and have never been the same since....seein' MY Dad jump a foot outta his seat..A FEW TIMES during it...yeah...and he went night fishin' that evening...eventhough it was in a lake he told me he STILL got the HEEBIE JEEBIES!!! :scared:

I own it on DVD and agree it IS great...after all these years it still holds up...AND I got all the trivia questions right on my first attempt!! :P :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

The book was a good read as well...it's much different from the movie....Benchley wrote another book "White Shark"...it's a TRIP..would make quite a good movie too IMHO! :)

[Zero Gravitas]

13. Good movie

Its definately underrated IMO, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it one of the best ever.

[Swede]

14. Great movie. Can anyone name any movie from 1975 off the top of their head