Does Jaws (1975) Hold Up 50 Years Later?
When Jaws (1975) hit the big screen in 1975, it was a phenomenon. It is said that it was the very first summer blockbuster, which some define as a movie with a dead simple premise and big action—which people say is true for any blockbuster movie. In this case, a big shark attacks a town and good guys have to stop it. The question now is does it hold up after all of these years?
The short answer to that is absolutely yes, and that is all despite knowing there’s a killer shark that is dangerous. Despite its simplicity and knowing what the shark does, it is still as suspenseful as it gets. This is especially in terms of underwater cinematography because when legs are shown, bad stuff happens. The movie also is great with providing false alarms as to what happens.
Going to performances, Roy Scheider is great as Martin Brody both portraying a loving father yet a figure that isn’t afraid to show his authority, whether it be his kids or Vaughn. I especially like how he argues with Vaughn and how all he wants is others to be safe. He seeks no fame or money like others—all he wants is safety and success for Amity Island. Murray Hamilton is great as Larry Vaughn, especially through his arc of arrogance to basically saying, “Fine, I’ll pay Quint.” Speaking of Quint (Robert Shaw), him being sidelined until later like Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) was in Jurassic Park (1993) makes a lot more sense here since he is the secret weapon of the story, unlike how Ellie didn’t get much to do early on. Richard Dreyfuss is also great as Matt Hooper, especially since he is good at being nerdy yet knowledgeable and being concise, though some nerdy characters struggle with going on for too long.
The humor also consistently lands throughout the movie and the climax is well shot, especially when death strikes the hardest. The ending, though, is cathartic when it happens. Due to all of the suspense and thrills Director Steven Spielberg has thrown at us, we feel relieved as an audience when the threat is gone. Not only does Brody feel like he’s done his job for the characters but also for the audience. Every shark moment makes us feel uneasy. So, when the ending happens, it feels like we’re liberated from the fear. In all, this is certainly one of the best movies out there and should be remembered not just for being one of the most famous movies ever but one of the best movies ever—10/10, five stars.
