Good Shark Hunting: Matt Damon calls JAWS ‘perfect’

Actor and Oscar-winning screenwriter Matt Damon’s proportions are correct when he hails the Steven Spielberg shark classic JAWS (1975) as a ‘perfect movie’.

The Saving Private Ryan actor spoke to Rotten Tomatoes about his favourite films back in 2021, with JAWS one of those that swam to the top of his list.

He said: “That’s a terrifying, perfect movie. It’s simple and kind of perfect and beautiful. It’s early Spielberg, and it just shows … I mean, I know it was a mistake that the shark wasn’t ready, but the idea of not seeing the shark is just absolutely brilliant.

“It tapped into the most primal and terrifying aspects of swimming in the ocean. And the acting is great, all the characters are great. And it’s almost impossible to shoot on a boat, and yet he did it with such unbelievable mastery.”

And on that boat, the Orca, we’d of course find another Matt, Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), Chief Brody (Roy Scheider and Quint (Robert Shaw) all trying to catch and kill a giant great white shark that has been killing people and the summer trade for Amity Island.

Directing Damon on Saving Private Ryan was of course Steven Spielberg, giving us yet another reason to be fearful of beaches with that opening sequence and showing us how a group of men working together can make a difference.

Words by Dean Newman

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