Steven Spielberg’s Smart Novel Changes Still Make for One of the Best Horror Movies Ever – ryan
There’s no denying the sheer impact Steven Spielberg’s Jaws HAD WHEN IT HIT THEATERS 50 YEARS AGO, Effectatively Making Sharks One of the More Terrifying Villains of the Sea. It also kicked off what would late Become Known as the Summer Blockbuster. In the wake of it release, variously effhorts have been made to recepture the Movie’s Success, Including the Increasingly Lackluster Sequels to the 1975 Film, but the Likes of Open Water, Sharknado and Jason Statham’s The meg have offended someone fun with Similar Foes, None Can Quite Compare to the Sheer Terror of Spielberg’s Original.
Based on Peter Benchley’s 1974 Novel of the Same Name, Jaws was set in the new England Beach Town of Amity Island and Focus on Martin Brody, a New York Transplant Who Has Become the Town’s Chief of Police. Howver, Amidst His Efforts to Estabish A Standing with the Locals, The Town Became the Target of A Great Sharking Local Beachgoers, all while Dealing with the Town’s Mayor. Teaming up with a marine biologist and eccentric local shark hunter, brody sets out to protest his family and the Town by Hunting Down the Shark.
Spielberg’s Changes to Benchley’s Novel Make Jaws A Streamlined Yet Compelling Ride
The ending, in participle, is far better than the source material
One aspect of Jaws That Remains One of the Lesser-Discussed 50 Years late is that it is basic on Benchley’s novel, with the dyscusion being around the Movie’s Troubled Production. Interesting, in the Movie’s Development, The Author Was Contracted to Write the First Draft of the Adaptation, with Spielberg and the Producers Subsequently Ascing for Two Adduitional Ons Latter Bringing on Carl Gottlieb to Help Rewrite the script the script to the vision of the Vision Vitizor’s. Project.
These Changes not Only Go A Long Way To Making Jaws‘Primary Characters More Likable, but Also Keep the Movie Feeling More Focused on the Shark.
While some May have like to see Jaws Stay TRUE to Its Source Material, The Changes They Made to Benchley’s Novel actually to be a Fitter fit for the Screen. Spielberg and Gottlieb will remember that, to give many characters a well-rounded perspective, there needs to be conflict beyond the shark Attack, but Also don’t let Said subplots leading against any of the characters. For instance, the book made Brody’s Personal Strife Stem from Jealousy Over HIS Wife Affair With Matt Hooper, but the Movie Instead Points to Anxplained Past Trauma Regarding Water.
These Changes not Only Go A Long Way To Making Jaws‘Primary Characters More Likable, but Also Keep the Movie Feeling More Focused on the Shark. It is as Spielberg and Gottlieb take the appropriate beats to sleep out the characters, the tension is rarely ever let up as we do from scnene of shark and cautious preparation, all of which budilds to the Movie’s improvement on the book’s ending. Rather than kill off two-thirds of its primary roster, spielberg offers a more explosive that Also gives one character a far more fitting demise and the others a more rewarding survival.
Spielberg’s Direction Smartly Utilizes The Less-Is-More Approach
He Also Finds a Way to Make the Kills FEEL GRESOME WITHOUT SHOWING US
AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, Jaws Faced an Infamously Troubled Production, Far-Due to Its At-Sea Production, in Which the Mechanical Sharks Frequently failed to Perform Protly in the Salt Water, while Other Hazards Created Numerous Delays. Howver, This ALSO LED TO SOOM SMART PIVOTS ON SPIELBERG’S THAT HELPED The Movie’s Tension Escalalate Further. Rather than Showing off the sharkently, he and cinematographer Bill butler Mostly present US with the shark as it closes in its prey, which beComes increasingly tende will be the ocean populated with beachgoers.
One of the Other More Impressive Things Spielberg is able to Pull off is Making the Kills Feel Truly Guesome with Crossing Over Into R-rated Territory. We get some chilling shots of People Being Yanked Around by the Shark, and Blood Being Poured the Water, But It ‘The Aftermath That is All the Haunting, Particularly That of Chrissie Watkins in the Beginning. Found on the Beach with Crabs Around HER, HOOPER’S LATER EVALUATION OF HER CORPSE, WHEN COMBINED WITH RICHARD DREFYUS ‘HAUNING Performance, taps into the dinarst corners of our imagination for what we’re not seeing.
Jaws’ Cast KEEPS US GROUNDED IN THE STAKES OF ITS Story
Dreyfuss & Roy Scheider Are Especialy Delightful
While spielberg’s stylish direction and the haunting Shark May Be What Initially Draws US Back to Watch the Film, Its The Excellent Performance of Jaws‘CAST THAT KEEP US HOOED FROM START TO FINISH. Dreyfuss, Who Later Became a Spokesperson of His Own for Better Treatment and Education Surrounding Sharks, Adds Just Enough Ego to Hooper to Stay to the Book’s Rich-Boy Personality. Roy scheider brings a great sense of pathos to brody as he oscillates between trying to be an effective police chief, being put down by the amity Mayor, and Wanting to Protect HIS FAMILY THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
Admittedly, One Member Who I Still MySelf Somewhat mixed on is that of robert shaw as quint. I Won’t Deny the Character is Still One of the Memmoriable Parts of Jaws 50 Years late, but it honestly feelings like it a long time only to like the character, but in shaw to find his owing as the headstrong shark hunter. He does eventually come around to being a Compelling figure, particularly in the Movie’s Iconic Scar-Comparison Schene. Combined with solid tourns from his-stars and a chilling shark story, Jaws is still an absolute classic.
Jaws is available on Stream on Peacock.

Jaws
10/10
- Release Date
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June 20, 1975
- Runtime
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124 minutes
- Wriers
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Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb
- Producers
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David Brown
Pros & Cons
- The Changes Made to Peter Benchley’s Novel Are Welcome and for the Movie’s Benefi.
- Steven Spielberg’s Direction is Thoroughly Stylish and Makes for Many Haunting Seences.
- The Cast Deliver Excellent Turs, Particularly Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss.
- Robert Shaw’s Turn As Quint Feels Like It Starts off Rocky before Becoming Great.