Written by August Aguilar, May 22, 2016…Â Twitter: @AugustAA92 & @elburritoblog
It’s the combination of the massive deep blue ocean and that infamous music we all know that terrifies us most while in the water. One of the most dangerous predators below our feet as we kick away or float above: Jaws. This iconic great white shark made us forever change the way we view the sea.
Jaws History
Jaws isn’t your typical “monster,” as he is not only a beast in film, but also a shark that exists in real life. But the idea of a great white shark stalking a beach is what makes this creature so scary. Jaws was created in 1975, based off the novel made in 1974 by Peter Benchley. Stephen Spielberg brought this shark to life by creating a real approach to beach goers. When people start to go swimming and then get violently pulled under, turning the water around them red, creates a very scary image.
The great white shark in film has the same characteristics as a typical shark except he is much larger and dangerous. The shark in film was measured out to be about 25 feet long, longer than a normal great white which is around 16 feet long. Creating this gigantic monster took three different mechanical rigs to emulate the shark itself. This shark is also intentionally going after humans near a beach, in contrast to a real shark, they do not actually prefer humans as their prey.
The first, and most successful film, takes place on the fictional resort town called Amity Island where Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Schneider) attempts to keep people off the beach as the shark attacks become more frequent. As he unsuccessfully is able to get the beach closed, it’s up to him to stop this beast by hunting it himself.
From here, the franchise wasn’t as successful only spawning three official sequels. Jaws 2 takes place on the same resort, with the same police chief, attempting to stop the same series of attacks. Jaws 3-D came out in 1983 when the new 3D technology was surfacing and attempted to capture scares through the medium. This sequel took place hilariously at SeaWorld, but did so poorly that the events and characters were later named independent from the series.
Finally, Jaws: The Revenge goes back to the resort again hunting another family member of Martin Brody one final time.
Cultural Impact
The first film brought nothing but awards and success, despite the many setbacks during production such as going over budget, scheduling delays, destroyed equipment, and multiple rewrites. However, this soon turned Jaws into a franchise: spawning the three sequels, a theme park ride at Universal Studios, video games (NES Speedrun), trading cards, and other merchandise such as beach towels, shark-tooth necklaces, etc.
Let’s not forget the countless number of inspired movies and knock-off films trying to recapture the magic of a giant shark (some with ridiculous features) such as Deep Blue Sea, Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus, the Sharknado series, and the upcoming film featuring Blake Lively: The Shallows. Most of these are nothing but cheap effects and poor plot lines, but they never seem to stop coming out.
Finally, Jaws let alone paved way a certain fear for many people who swim in the ocean. The unknown factor that a shark could possibly be swimming around underneath someone could prevent them from enjoying themselves. Some shark species are now in more risk of becoming endangered species because of poachers.
Future of Jaws?
Currently, and surprisingly, there are no plans for any sort of sequel or reboot for the franchise. Jaws has claimed it’s title’s of one of the greatest movies of all time, and maybe filmmakers are trying to respect that. Or maybe, it’s because there’s so many damn shark movies now. I would honestly like to see a remake for the film with today’s technology to make this monster even scarier. For now though, our fears of what lurks under the sea remain in the back of our minds as we swim in the ocean. Hopefully you’ll never see a fin rise above the water, or feel a brush by your feet.
So what do you think of Jaws? Would you like to see a remake? Do you have a favorite shark movie? Let us know in the comments below.
