🇵🇱 Steve G 🇵🇸’s review published on Letterboxd:
I have reviewed Jaws twice before and I don't really think there is much more that I can say about the quality of the film and how much I love it.
But there are some truly brilliant pieces of writing about it on Letterboxd and I wanted to take the opportunity to share some of my favourite bits and pieces from the many great reviews of Jaws that I've seen over the last couple of years.
Mumbles:-
"A tragic tale of a lost and distressed fish hunted down by an aquaphobic police chief, a disgraced oceanographer trying to regain some of his tarnished reputation and a nasty drunk with a fetish for bowlegged women. All of them egged on by a corrupt mayor trying to find someone or something to blame for his small islands dwindling tourist industry and his poor taste in fashion. I wish it had a happy ending, but they even go so far as to insult the fishes mother before finally commiting the coup de grace. Shameful stuff. Five stars."
"Jaws is more than just a monster movie and more than just another dumb blockbuster; it is a heartfelt, expertly crafted slice of escapism that manages to terrify and excite in equal measure and its impact has not been diluted by the passage of time."
"Unfairly lumped in with the crowd of "Blockbuster films that killed cinema" (an already half insane statement as it is). Jaws may have launched the idea of the Summer blockbuster (which you can't blame the film for finding out that you can make a lot of money when kids are out of school), but it's far from being the impersonal special effects extravaganza which people tend to refer to when talking about "those kinds of films"."
"This is for the lake that me and my friends swim in, naked and dumb on a drunken night. And it should've felt good but I can hear the Jaws theme song on repeat in the back of my mind."
"The bustling community of Amity has his back and eventually a trio of shark hunters is one the scene. Each character adds something to plate and it compliments one another. Brody has a perfect wife and family, but is afraid of water. He is a flawed hero. He is also a man of authority so he has to become an extension of the community, therefore becomes an "Everyman" type hero. Matt Hooper, (the awesome Richard Dreyfuss) is an oceanographer and brings science and logic to the situation. The third and definitely the most electrifying character is of course the infamous Captain Quint. Robert Shaw cemented this character in cinema history as being a hardened shark hunter that you do not cross. His engrossing U.S.S Indianapolis monologue really reinforced him as someone with a vendetta against sharks. He also brings a unique sense of humor to the table along with his expertise at sea. These three characters bring brains, brawn, and heart to the situation and seeing them mesh at sea is a real treat that never gets old. You could watch these 4 do battle forever. Where the first half was a horror film, the second half is a full fledged adventure and buddy comedy. Jaws blended this seamlessly and is one of the reasons why Spielberg's masterpiece became both a financial and critical success."
Shark:-
"TRAGIC DRAMA. SHARK DESTROYED BY OWN HUBRIS. MASTERFUL."
