Old Man Angelo’s review published on Letterboxd:
What to say about this classic that hasn't been said? It's a movie that quintessentially defines summer. Both in being the first summer blockbuster, what it led to, and how it changed the landscape, but also what you see on screen, it's depiction Amity as a living breathing world, and the culture of beach communities.
It's less a movie about a shark, than it is a tale of three men. Roy Scheider was always the embodiment of that 70's urban drama, cigarette in his mouth, hard edges around his face is perfect as Chief Brody, who is clearly out of his depth. This is a guy who could roll up to back up Clint Eastwood and exchange suppressing fire with Charles Bronson without breaking a sweat, but here in sleepy amber trapped Amity dude has no real control. Richard Dreyfuss I imagine is playing somewhat of an avatar for Spielberg himself here (It's always fun to spot them in movies). Fresh faced college kid trying assert his authority but being belittled by everyone. Of course the MVP is Robert Shaw as Quint, who is a ridiculously over the top character you'd find in an action movie or something, but as the three characters bond, peel off the layers and they all grow and flesh out.
A lot of people often go back and visit an old classic to see it doesn't hold up, that it's been so influential that when you watch the originator for the first time it doesn't offer anything new. With Jaws it's kinda sorta like that, but it also does everything so well that it doesn't matter, you can watch the movie without worrying it doesn't feel fresh anymore because the movie is fucking great.
Spielberg directed the hell out of it, film is a visual medium and the movie communicates everything you need to know. This movie kicked off the idea that you can apply an A list execution to a b-movie idea and make a masterpiece, so it's this movie you can thank for the rise of Arnold Schwarzenegger and that's it's greatest gift of all.
