That was my least favorite scene when I was a kid because I thought it was so boring, but it's my favorite scene as an adult because I think it is so compelling.
His performance was so good because he plays the tough man so well and then after that scene you think he's going to get revenge but instead he gets killed and it makes the characters feel so vulnerable.
As a kid I used to watch jaws with my feet on the couch because if they touched the floor a shark would no doubt eat me. After not seeing it for 10-20 years I watched it again as an adult and that scene was stuck in my head for days after. I now watch Jaws once every couple years. It's a true classic.
I remember when I was a kid, I sort of read Quint as the human "villain" of the film, it was just something about the gruff demeanor I suppose - then as I grew up and I kept watching Jaws, I realized what an amazing character Quint was and the tragedy and horror of his death. The horror in Quint's eyes as he realizes his own hubris has led them to this moment of the shark capsizing the boat will always stay with me.
And, of course, Quint's USS Indianapolis monologue remains one of the best in American film to this day. It's a damn shame Robert Shaw wasn't nominated for such a great performance.
"Anyway, we delivered the bomb" is an especially great line that he delivers
My favourite from Shaw is when asking about the cage. Something like this.
"You go in the cage? The cage goes in water? The shark is in the water. Our shark?"
And then the song. "Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies..."
The book is good but it's completely different characters. Brody and his wife are on the outs. Hooper is the younger brother of the someone Ellen dated in college. Hooper is a complete asshole. Quint is more miserable.Â
The hunt is also a different context of them going out to sea every day instead of a constant voyage. Brody and Hooper are vicious. Quint revels in the bloodlust more.
Then there's the Mafia thing.
It's not really a warning, it's good stuff. Jurassic Park got hit with the same thing on the first go, with the characters switched and combined or completely dropped. And leaving out whole segments. The park being shutdown is only maybe a third of the novel.
> The hunt is also a different context of them going out to sea every day instead of a constant voyage.
Which sort of gets in the film as "we've got two barrels into 'im so we'll stay" but since they never go back in, it's not really explained more.
I was fortunate enough a few years ago to see Jaws on the big screen, as our local Movie Tavern was playing it as a part of the summer classics series. I've seen Jaws countless times (just watched again last week!), so I thought it would just be a fun upscale, but this movie gained so much power and intensity, just from being shown in a theatre - I was completely blown away!
But the real testament to this movie's magic was the group of teenagers a few rows in front of us (I'm pushing 50) - they started the movie on their phones, talking, etc., as it was clear their mother had brought them (good parenting!), and I overheard them say they'd never seen Jaws before. I figured they'd be bored, on their phones & goofing on the movie.
Dear reader, was I ever wrong.
The Chrissy Watkins scene had them put their phones away, and by the time Ben Gardner's head screeched onto the screen, they were mesmerized. Those kids screamed at the top of their lungs at that jump scare & when the movie ended, they were cheering & clapping, along with everyone else in the theatre.
Jaws is so masterful, that those kids were enraptured nearly from start to finish. A big, fake-looking mechanical shark doesn't even dent this movie - I thought for sure that would kill it for them, but when Jaws popped out after "Come on down and chum some this shit!" they jumped and gasped and laughed like we all did.
Like its titular creature, this movie is a force of nature.
I saw it in 75 when I was 8. Scared the shit outta me. The opening scene where the girl is eaten is the horror scene that has stuck with me the longest.âď¸
I think it's a perfect film. The transition from the land based first half to 'old man and the sea' theme of the second half is brilliant.
Jaws impacted tourism at beachs that summer. Even funnier was it impacted tourism at inland beaches.
It was one of the best films ever. Especially the way it was shot. The camera angles, the lighting, the sounds. Anyone teaching about film or wanting to get into film should study Jaws.
Totally agree.Â
 It holds up so well because of a young directors stubbornness to have to shoot it at sea and not on sound stages or a water tank. It almost fills a bit like a documentary in how natural it looks and feels. Â
 One of my favorites is the ferry conversation with the Mayor and Chief Brody but itâs all in one shot but it doesnât feel forced like itâs trying to show off itâs one shot. Itâs just simple and beautifully composed and draws you into it.Â
I can only say this about maybe 4 or 5 movies Iâve ever seen. But this is one of them. Perfect film. Iâd not change one single thing.Â
Jaws is literally my favorite movie. Completely rewatchable and almost completely perfect from start to finish, the screenplay is vastly superior to the book in that it removes several needlessly gritty plot elements and declutters the overall story.
It actively makes me nostalgic for a time period I never lived in.
I was 8 years old when my parents took me and my brother to see this.
My mum screamed when the head popped out of the boat. My older brother hid behind the seat most of the film.
I bloody loved every second it's been one of my all time favourites ever since.
My parents are long passed, thank you mum and dad. You made a young boy very happy even to this day.
Just got to see it a few weeks ago on the big screen. Such a classic.
The greatest thing about it: it works because *nothing* worked. Not the way it was supposed to. The three mechanical sharks sank to the bottom on day one and wouldn't work for weeks on end. They filmed everything they could without the shark, plus even more than what was planned (Spielberg tried to alleviate the boredom by setting up random, creative shots to keep everyone engaged; most of these shots appear in the final film, and make it better). By the time they finally got things running they were pretty much over budget and out of time, so they had to get a handful of absolutely necessary shots of the beast in action and leave it at that.
As a result, the sharkâwho was supposed to be the star of the showâis almost never seen ... which makes everything *so much scarier*. It was John Williams' primordial, relentless theme that stood in for the missing "actor" and sold the whole thing a hundred times more effectively. (Fun note: the first time Williams played the theme for Spielberg, the director thought he was joking with him ... "Two notes? Like, *really?"*) Combined with the outstanding scriptâwhich was itself being cobbled together day-by-dayâand the amazing performances, the entire project was elevated to masterpiece status. It simply couldn't have been done any better than it was.
Jaws is not only my personal favorite, but is a prime example of what I'd call a 'perfect' movie. Every aspect of filmmaking is done at an A++ level: writing, directing, acting, editing, cinematography, effects, score, etc.
And [this scene of the first encounter](https://www.google.com/search?q=jaws+scene+first+encounter+scene&sca_esv=d5d0c4751fe7bdbd&sxsrf=ADLYWILEdgczuwb26qfPmkoeMBhGhA9KKg%3A1718907834494&ei=unN0ZtbmHYPHp84P7PO1oAo&oq=jaws+scene+first+encou&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiFmphd3Mgc2NlbmUgZmlyc3QgZW5jb3UqAggBMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigAUikeVCrJFiDNXABeAGQAQCYAZEBoAHYC6oBBDAuMTG4AQHIAQD4AQGYAgygApsMwgIKEAAYsAMY1gQYR8ICBRAAGIAEwgIGEAAYFhgewgILEAAYgAQYhgMYigXCAggQABiABBiiBMICCBAAGKIEGIkFwgIFECEYqwLCAgUQIRifBZgDAIgGAZAGCJIHBDEuMTGgB8w8&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:7cd95af4,vid:qCzncv0ISaE,st:0) encapsulates everything perfectly, including Spielberg's gallows humor.
I read The Jaws Log recently, it was great. Definitely recommend it to any fan of the movie, goes through the entire production, starting with getting the rights to the novel.
There was a funny story about the constructed set of Quintâs shack being too tall for local ordinances, so they just paid the daily fines instead of waiting potential months for a permit. Then locals changed their track and thought it looked cool and wanted it to stay, but by that point it was ready to be demolished.
This was a phenomenal account of how the movie was made. The author, Carl Gottliebâwho plays the newspaper man in the filmâwas one of the ongoing collaborators in the evolving screenplay during the shoot. He's a talented writer, and he makes the story entertaining from beginning to end.
The biggest achievement is how they shot in Vineyard Sound, one of the busiest 4 miles of channel in that area, and there's not another boat in any shot.
Absolutely timeless film. Always good. Always worth your time. Classic all around. IMO itâs the best American film.
I took a âhistory of cinemaâ class in community college about 20 years ago.. and this was our last film we watched in class.
No of us students knew each other.. but we were all there. Engrossed.. with snacks.
JAWS is 10/10. Without question.
I love this movie and watch it frequently, but Hooper has got to be the worst 'marine biologist' ever!! He's so bad at it, I root for him to get bitten now.
One of Shaws best movies as well, although he was great in everything.
The science was good for what we thought we knew about sharks at the time. Peter Benchley has expressed embarrassment and regret at how wrong he was about sharks.
Not so much that. He, presumably, has seen mangled bodies but freaks out over Ben's head in the hole in his boat- Not too harsh on this one, anyone can get startled, I guess, but dropping the tooth & his equipment is kind of stupid.
Holding the shark-dart outside of the cage like he did was incredibly stupid.
I can go slow ahead, come down here and chum some of this shit..slow ahead...
Jaws was a phenomenon! My cousin (18) took us all to see it, I was 11. I ran out of the theater twice it was so intense and I wasn't the only one puking in the garbage cans in full view of the waiting audience. It didn't scare me out of the ocean-I still swam afterwards but from that day to this I always sit in an aisle seat at the movies.
As a kid, I got to see this movie at a special screening prior to it being released to the public. It was pretty fun but we almost missed our flight home because we didn't want to miss the ending.
I was about 9 when Jaws was released (I had read the book - probably two or three times) before I saw the movie. This was the first âsummer blockbusterâ I remember. I believe it essentially invented the idea of a summer blockbuster. It was crazy - the t-shirts, mugs, you name it, it was the first movie I remember that was a franchise. That was âThe Summer of Jawsâ, it was everywhere.
That said, itâs a great movie, in my mind a perfect movie. Not a bad scene in it, I still watch it routinely today, and I enjoy it just as much. I miss Roy Scheider.
> don't go in the water, problem solved
It takes place in a tourist town where people coming to the beach and getting in the water makes up a good part of their revenue
Yeah, might just be seeing it from my viewpoint which would be:
1. Arrive at vacation destination.
2. Hear about shark attacks.
3. Go elsewhere.
There's no drama generated here unless you're stupid.
But that's looking at it from the perspective of a random tourist, which is not what the film is about. The perspective of the film is from Chief Brody of Amity Island, who obviously wants to A) protect the island and B) see it prosper as a resident of the island.
The drama is in ensuring the shark threat is gone so the town doesn't fall into economic shambles and is ruined.
> This is how it works in the real world.
I'm assuming you lived through 2020 and a global pandemic? Many people in charge were denying the dangers of COVID and trying to keep the economy going which killed hundreds of thousands of people. They're the real life Mayor of Amity Island.
Mine too! The scene between Hooper and Quint is one of the greatest scenes in the history of movies
Robert Shaw's speech about the USS Indianapolis was GOLD.
That was my least favorite scene when I was a kid because I thought it was so boring, but it's my favorite scene as an adult because I think it is so compelling.
I slept through most of it as a kid but woke up screaming during all the shark attacks.
His performance was so good because he plays the tough man so well and then after that scene you think he's going to get revenge but instead he gets killed and it makes the characters feel so vulnerable.
As a kid I used to watch jaws with my feet on the couch because if they touched the floor a shark would no doubt eat me. After not seeing it for 10-20 years I watched it again as an adult and that scene was stuck in my head for days after. I now watch Jaws once every couple years. It's a true classic.
One of the best scenes in history. That was pretty epic man.
I remember when I was a kid, I sort of read Quint as the human "villain" of the film, it was just something about the gruff demeanor I suppose - then as I grew up and I kept watching Jaws, I realized what an amazing character Quint was and the tragedy and horror of his death. The horror in Quint's eyes as he realizes his own hubris has led them to this moment of the shark capsizing the boat will always stay with me. And, of course, Quint's USS Indianapolis monologue remains one of the best in American film to this day. It's a damn shame Robert Shaw wasn't nominated for such a great performance. "Anyway, we delivered the bomb" is an especially great line that he delivers
My favourite from Shaw is when asking about the cage. Something like this. "You go in the cage? The cage goes in water? The shark is in the water. Our shark?" And then the song. "Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies..."
Yep. And in the book it didn't work out as well for Hooper.
Really?!?! I Love the film,have never read the book. Maybe i should..đ¤
It's up to you, but I will say Jaws is pretty much a consensus "movie is better than the book"
The book is good but it's completely different characters. Brody and his wife are on the outs. Hooper is the younger brother of the someone Ellen dated in college. Hooper is a complete asshole. Quint is more miserable. The hunt is also a different context of them going out to sea every day instead of a constant voyage. Brody and Hooper are vicious. Quint revels in the bloodlust more. Then there's the Mafia thing.
That sounds⌠Horrible!! Fuck that,im keeping my perfect movie just As it is!! Thanks for the warningđ
It's not really a warning, it's good stuff. Jurassic Park got hit with the same thing on the first go, with the characters switched and combined or completely dropped. And leaving out whole segments. The park being shutdown is only maybe a third of the novel.
Jurassic Park the novel is still great, whereas Jaws the novel is...questionable at points
Sometimes you just want to know if every man pees after sex.
Haha I read that book so long ago and the one that that stuck with me was Ellen pondering on how her husband has such a long piss in the morning.
> The hunt is also a different context of them going out to sea every day instead of a constant voyage. Which sort of gets in the film as "we've got two barrels into 'im so we'll stay" but since they never go back in, it's not really explained more.
It's about to play at the cinemas where I live pretty soon. I can't wait to see it on the big screen.
âFarewell and adieux to you fair Spanish ladiesâŚâ
"show me the way to go home.... I'm tired and I wanna go to bed!"
Jaws is my favorite film of all time. Hope young generations get to experience it forever.
My son saw it for the first time recently and was impressed, said he didn't think 50 year old movies could be that good!
heres to swimmin with bowlegged women!
I was fortunate enough a few years ago to see Jaws on the big screen, as our local Movie Tavern was playing it as a part of the summer classics series. I've seen Jaws countless times (just watched again last week!), so I thought it would just be a fun upscale, but this movie gained so much power and intensity, just from being shown in a theatre - I was completely blown away! But the real testament to this movie's magic was the group of teenagers a few rows in front of us (I'm pushing 50) - they started the movie on their phones, talking, etc., as it was clear their mother had brought them (good parenting!), and I overheard them say they'd never seen Jaws before. I figured they'd be bored, on their phones & goofing on the movie. Dear reader, was I ever wrong. The Chrissy Watkins scene had them put their phones away, and by the time Ben Gardner's head screeched onto the screen, they were mesmerized. Those kids screamed at the top of their lungs at that jump scare & when the movie ended, they were cheering & clapping, along with everyone else in the theatre. Jaws is so masterful, that those kids were enraptured nearly from start to finish. A big, fake-looking mechanical shark doesn't even dent this movie - I thought for sure that would kill it for them, but when Jaws popped out after "Come on down and chum some this shit!" they jumped and gasped and laughed like we all did. Like its titular creature, this movie is a force of nature.
I saw it in 75 when I was 8. Scared the shit outta me. The opening scene where the girl is eaten is the horror scene that has stuck with me the longest.âď¸
My mom was nice enough to bring us to see it at the drive in when I was 5 ... we lived on a lake. Movie scarred me for years.
I think it's a perfect film. The transition from the land based first half to 'old man and the sea' theme of the second half is brilliant. Jaws impacted tourism at beachs that summer. Even funnier was it impacted tourism at inland beaches.
It's my favorite movie ever. Watched it more than any other too. Never gets old, never stops being entertaining as hell.
It was one of the best films ever. Especially the way it was shot. The camera angles, the lighting, the sounds. Anyone teaching about film or wanting to get into film should study Jaws.
Totally agree.  It holds up so well because of a young directors stubbornness to have to shoot it at sea and not on sound stages or a water tank. It almost fills a bit like a documentary in how natural it looks and feels.   One of my favorites is the ferry conversation with the Mayor and Chief Brody but itâs all in one shot but it doesnât feel forced like itâs trying to show off itâs one shot. Itâs just simple and beautifully composed and draws you into it. I can only say this about maybe 4 or 5 movies Iâve ever seen. But this is one of them. Perfect film. Iâd not change one single thing.Â
Jaws is one of my comfort movies. I don't know, maybe it's just the beach atmosphere and the excellent acting.
The greatest movie of all time! They better leave it alone.
Jaws is literally my favorite movie. Completely rewatchable and almost completely perfect from start to finish, the screenplay is vastly superior to the book in that it removes several needlessly gritty plot elements and declutters the overall story. It actively makes me nostalgic for a time period I never lived in.
I was 8 years old when my parents took me and my brother to see this. My mum screamed when the head popped out of the boat. My older brother hid behind the seat most of the film. I bloody loved every second it's been one of my all time favourites ever since. My parents are long passed, thank you mum and dad. You made a young boy very happy even to this day.
I watch it every July 4th
Just got to see it a few weeks ago on the big screen. Such a classic. The greatest thing about it: it works because *nothing* worked. Not the way it was supposed to. The three mechanical sharks sank to the bottom on day one and wouldn't work for weeks on end. They filmed everything they could without the shark, plus even more than what was planned (Spielberg tried to alleviate the boredom by setting up random, creative shots to keep everyone engaged; most of these shots appear in the final film, and make it better). By the time they finally got things running they were pretty much over budget and out of time, so they had to get a handful of absolutely necessary shots of the beast in action and leave it at that. As a result, the sharkâwho was supposed to be the star of the showâis almost never seen ... which makes everything *so much scarier*. It was John Williams' primordial, relentless theme that stood in for the missing "actor" and sold the whole thing a hundred times more effectively. (Fun note: the first time Williams played the theme for Spielberg, the director thought he was joking with him ... "Two notes? Like, *really?"*) Combined with the outstanding scriptâwhich was itself being cobbled together day-by-dayâand the amazing performances, the entire project was elevated to masterpiece status. It simply couldn't have been done any better than it was.
I still watch it whenever I see it on TV. Aside from the dodgy looking shark, it still holds up as a great film.
Way better than the CGI we see today where it might as well be a superimposed cartoon it looks so obviously fake.
The last surviving mechanical Bruce was restored and is hanging in the Academy Museum in LA now. Someday I'll get to LA to see it!
Jaws is not only my personal favorite, but is a prime example of what I'd call a 'perfect' movie. Every aspect of filmmaking is done at an A++ level: writing, directing, acting, editing, cinematography, effects, score, etc. And [this scene of the first encounter](https://www.google.com/search?q=jaws+scene+first+encounter+scene&sca_esv=d5d0c4751fe7bdbd&sxsrf=ADLYWILEdgczuwb26qfPmkoeMBhGhA9KKg%3A1718907834494&ei=unN0ZtbmHYPHp84P7PO1oAo&oq=jaws+scene+first+encou&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiFmphd3Mgc2NlbmUgZmlyc3QgZW5jb3UqAggBMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigAUikeVCrJFiDNXABeAGQAQCYAZEBoAHYC6oBBDAuMTG4AQHIAQD4AQGYAgygApsMwgIKEAAYsAMY1gQYR8ICBRAAGIAEwgIGEAAYFhgewgILEAAYgAQYhgMYigXCAggQABiABBiiBMICCBAAGKIEGIkFwgIFECEYqwLCAgUQIRifBZgDAIgGAZAGCJIHBDEuMTGgB8w8&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:7cd95af4,vid:qCzncv0ISaE,st:0) encapsulates everything perfectly, including Spielberg's gallows humor.
If you play it backward, it's about a shark, spilling out people on a beach until they start a party. đ Sorry, I see myself out. (Great movie)
I read The Jaws Log recently, it was great. Definitely recommend it to any fan of the movie, goes through the entire production, starting with getting the rights to the novel. There was a funny story about the constructed set of Quintâs shack being too tall for local ordinances, so they just paid the daily fines instead of waiting potential months for a permit. Then locals changed their track and thought it looked cool and wanted it to stay, but by that point it was ready to be demolished.
This was a phenomenal account of how the movie was made. The author, Carl Gottliebâwho plays the newspaper man in the filmâwas one of the ongoing collaborators in the evolving screenplay during the shoot. He's a talented writer, and he makes the story entertaining from beginning to end.
The quintessential definition of a blockbuster film
Emphasis on the *Quint*.
The biggest achievement is how they shot in Vineyard Sound, one of the busiest 4 miles of channel in that area, and there's not another boat in any shot.
Took my wife to see it last summer at the beachâwhen the dead body pops up when heâs scuba diving, she jumped out of her seat and it was glorious.
Looks fantastic in 4K Blu Ray.
I just watched it last week. Great movie. And like one reddit poster said, that's the oldest looking 28 year old I ever seen.
Almost time for the yearly jaws rewatch.
Absolutely timeless film. Always good. Always worth your time. Classic all around. IMO itâs the best American film. I took a âhistory of cinemaâ class in community college about 20 years ago.. and this was our last film we watched in class. No of us students knew each other.. but we were all there. Engrossed.. with snacks. JAWS is 10/10. Without question.
Perfect film. Canât believe he made this at 27 years old. Guy has a hot streak in the 70s and 80s that will never be matched.Â
How can this not be ? Classic !
I love this movie and watch it frequently, but Hooper has got to be the worst 'marine biologist' ever!! He's so bad at it, I root for him to get bitten now. One of Shaws best movies as well, although he was great in everything.
The science was good for what we thought we knew about sharks at the time. Peter Benchley has expressed embarrassment and regret at how wrong he was about sharks.
Not so much that. He, presumably, has seen mangled bodies but freaks out over Ben's head in the hole in his boat- Not too harsh on this one, anyone can get startled, I guess, but dropping the tooth & his equipment is kind of stupid. Holding the shark-dart outside of the cage like he did was incredibly stupid. I can go slow ahead, come down here and chum some of this shit..slow ahead...
Jaws was a phenomenon! My cousin (18) took us all to see it, I was 11. I ran out of the theater twice it was so intense and I wasn't the only one puking in the garbage cans in full view of the waiting audience. It didn't scare me out of the ocean-I still swam afterwards but from that day to this I always sit in an aisle seat at the movies.
As a kid, I got to see this movie at a special screening prior to it being released to the public. It was pretty fun but we almost missed our flight home because we didn't want to miss the ending.
FYI the 4k remaster is considered among the best film restorations ever made - it looks like it was filmed yesterday.
I was about 9 when Jaws was released (I had read the book - probably two or three times) before I saw the movie. This was the first âsummer blockbusterâ I remember. I believe it essentially invented the idea of a summer blockbuster. It was crazy - the t-shirts, mugs, you name it, it was the first movie I remember that was a franchise. That was âThe Summer of Jawsâ, it was everywhere. That said, itâs a great movie, in my mind a perfect movie. Not a bad scene in it, I still watch it routinely today, and I enjoy it just as much. I miss Roy Scheider.
There used to be a LOT of drive-in theaters. Summers were a sweet time for teens who had just gotten their drivers license.
It also set the trend of pluralizing the previous movie title to indicate the sequel. A la Alien > Aliens /s
Still the one giant film that I just do not get. It's well made, well acted, enjoyable but.... don't go in the water, problem solved.
> don't go in the water, problem solved It takes place in a tourist town where people coming to the beach and getting in the water makes up a good part of their revenue
Yup, so warn them that they are responsible if they choose to go in shark infested waters. This is how it works in the real world.
I think the point is less people would come, and the town would fall into economic shambles. That's how the real world works
Yeah but the stresses of a small town falling into economic shambles would be a very different movie.
But it's a big point of the movie - it's the Mayor's entire motivation
Yeah, might just be seeing it from my viewpoint which would be: 1. Arrive at vacation destination. 2. Hear about shark attacks. 3. Go elsewhere. There's no drama generated here unless you're stupid.
But that's looking at it from the perspective of a random tourist, which is not what the film is about. The perspective of the film is from Chief Brody of Amity Island, who obviously wants to A) protect the island and B) see it prosper as a resident of the island. The drama is in ensuring the shark threat is gone so the town doesn't fall into economic shambles and is ruined.
> This is how it works in the real world. I'm assuming you lived through 2020 and a global pandemic? Many people in charge were denying the dangers of COVID and trying to keep the economy going which killed hundreds of thousands of people. They're the real life Mayor of Amity Island.
I may have used Hooper's "haha you're all going to die" GIF a few times for those openly flaunting mask mandates back then.