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| Genre: | Horror |
| Year: | 1975 |
| Rating: | PG |
| Length: | 2 Hours 5 Minutes |
| Cast: | Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Jeffrey Kramer, Susan Backlinie |
| Credits: | Directed by Steven Spielburg. Music by John Williams. (VHS now available in both Pan & Scan and a limited collector's edition in Wide-Screen format with behind-the scenes footage.) |
Displaying a flair for suspense worthy of Hitchcock, young Steven Spielberg terrorized a generation's moviegoers simply by showing a fin in the water. Adapted from Peter Benchley's bestseller, Spielberg's first major hit earned an Oscar nomination for best picture, spawned multiple sequels, and changed Hollywood forever by making the action-blockbuster a summer staple. A triumph of superb craftsmanship, enhanced by John Williams's menacing, Oscar-winning score, Jaws serves as a showcase for three outstanding performances. Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider star as the marine biologist and landlubber sheriff, respectively, who join forces with a grizzled fisherman (Robert Shaw) to hunt down the man-eating shark that is terrorizing a summer resort. There are echoes of Moby Dick in Shaw's obsessive, Captain Ahab-like sailor, as there are in the film's theme of the struggle between man and nature. There is also an element of gallows humor ("I think we need a bigger boat") that punctuates the terror like drops of demented glee. As viewers will see in the outstanding "Making of Jaws" documentary included on both the DVD and double-cassette VHS Anniversary Collector's Editions, this fish story succeeded because of its rich storytelling and characterization. A shock film with heart and soul to match its grit, Jaws remains a true American classic. Ben Wolf
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