50 years ago, Jaws, the granddaddy of summer blockbusters, was unleashed in cinemas, becoming a pop culture sensation.
Director Steven Spielberg's shark story, adapted from Peter Benchley’s bestselling book, is regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made. Such was the phenomenal success of Jaws that shark species were hunted to near extinction due to a moral panic. Thankfully, lessons were learned, myths dispelled, and shark conservation has prevailed on Shark Awareness Day.
While I was too young to see Jaws during its original theatrical run, it caught my childhood imagination courtesy of Ideal's The Game of Jaws and John Williams' Oscar-winning soundtrack as I flicked through the pages of a neighbour friend’s shark book before asking them countless questions about the movie - their patience was limitless.
When Jaws was first shown on television in 1981, I wasn't disappointed (traumatised, more like).
Alien and Jaws have the distinction of being the stuff of childhood nightmare fuel in the early eighties. For the next two hours, I didn't move from the edge of my seat. For context, not for the first time, I had my legs in plaster casts as part of rehabilitation following a life-changing injury.
My nerves were as frayed as the carpet beneath my feet, but I couldn't avert my eyes from the horror unfolding before me and that fella from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Richard Dreyfuss (Matt Hooper). The real villain of Jaws isn’t the great white shark; it’s capitalism as the greedy mayor, played by Murray Hamilton, tries to keep the Amity Island beaches open for the 4th of July.
In the wake of seeing Jaws on ITV, I created an effigy of the shark's head using papier-mâché for a middle school art project. It hung in my parents' garage for decades.
In an era of second screens and artificial intelligence (AI), Jaws remains a masterclass in cinematic storytelling filled with compelling characters we care about. Bruce, the mechanical shark, may have infamously broken down on set, forcing Spielberg to shoot around the titular beast. Yet, Jaws broke box office records, spawned sequels and countless imitators, but never bettered. And generations of movie fans (myself included) can't visit the seaside without hearing Williams' iconic main theme.
What are your memories of watching Jaws? Let me know in the comments below.
🦈 Jaws at 50: Why It Still Makes Us Afraid of the Water
ReplyDeleteThere’s something bone-chillingly brilliant about a film whose terror is born from just two musical notes. E and F—played back-to-back with relentless simplicity—signal one of cinema’s most iconic threats. Anyone who hears that haunting duo instantly knows what’s coming. Jaws.
This isn't just my favourite film of all time—it's a cinematic titan celebrating its 50th anniversary, and its bite hasn’t dulled a bit.
🎬 The Birth of the Blockbuster
The summer of 1975 changed movies forever. A young Steven Spielberg took Peter Benchley’s novel and gave it life on the silver screen, introducing the world to Bruce—the mechanical shark that would torment Amity Island. Nobody anticipated the tidal wave of success Jaws would bring. It redefined suspense, reshaped the thriller genre, and gave birth to the summer blockbuster.
Cue the mass beach exodus: No one went in the water.
🧪👮♂️⚓ Three Men vs One Monster
The story centers on three wildly different men: Chief Brody, oceanographer Hooper, and grizzled fisherman Quint. Their uneasy alliance evolves—from squabbling and sarcasm to unity and urgency—as shark attacks mount. What begins as dysfunction becomes teamwork in the face of a cunning underwater predator.
Their journey is gritty, emotional, and strangely heartfelt. The USS Indianapolis monologue? Chilling. The scar-sharing scene? Endearing. The yellow barrels, the final shot… pure cinematic gold.
🎥 Craft Behind the Carnage
Spielberg famously wrestled with Bruce, whose technical issues led to creative solutions. Rather than show the shark outright, Spielberg leaned into the power of suggestion—fin above water, tension below. The result? One of the most shocking, edge-of-seat shark attacks in film history, without even showing the beast.
By the time we hear “You’re gonna need a bigger boat”—a line ad-libbed on set—Bruce makes his gruesome entrance. And just like that, fear has a dorsal fin.
💽 The Legacy Lives On
I’ve watched Jaws more times than I can count. Every format, every edition—from VHS to the breathtaking 4K Steelbook. The 50th anniversary restoration by Universal Studios is jaw-dropping (pun intended), with visuals that rival the original 1975 release.
Beyond the movie, Jaws invaded pop culture and our homes. I had the Mattel Jaws game. I own a plughole cover themed after it. Posters on the wall, video games in the console—it’s more than a film; it’s a phenomenon.
🐠 Fear, Friendship, and Filmmaking Brilliance
What strikes me most is how a movie about a fish captured something deeper. It’s about facing fear, building trust, and surviving the unthinkable. Even five decades later, it resonates.
So here’s my tribute to Jaws—a movie that changed cinema, terrified generations, and still makes me think twice before dipping a toe in the ocean. Writing this makes me want to watch it again… and I think I will, from the safety of my living room, miles away from open water.
Enjoy the film—and remember: it’s not the water you should fear. It’s what’s underneath.