The genius meaning behind Chief Brody’s costumes in JAWS
Chief Brody in JAWS (played by the amazing Roy Scheider) is perhaps the most definitive ‘fish out of water’ characters ever created, him having a proper character arc seeing him go from a man afraid of water to conquering the most feared beast in the sea.
Martin Brody is arguably the most important male character of modern cinema. However, one specific aspect about the Chief has been niggling away in my mind for a loooooong while and I thought it was time to put my thoughts out there.
As the lead in Steven Spielberg’s JAWS, he goes through the most costume changes, so very specific choices had to be made. Look closely at JAWS and Martin Brody’s costumes may just be the most important aspect of his character arc and could present us with a new way to interpret the story. This is my Brody theory: Part 1
Any actor will tell you that when creating a character there are lots of decisions that have to be made. For example, how will the character speak, walk or even sit. However, there is one thing that can tell us a lot about a character before they even breathe - their clothes. As with us all in real life, our choice of clothes can show the different facets of our personalities. In a normal day, I may change my clothes once, maybe twice depending on the occasion.
In a movie (or play), a lead character can go through multiple costumes, perhaps a different one for every scene in which they appear. Each costume change should signify something about the character, a change of some sort.
This can be driven by the environment the character is in, such as a formal setting that may require a tuxdeo or sharp suit. James Bond pulls off a sharp suit like no other, however Napoleon Dynamite would likely be awkward as heck in a tux. The point being, the clothes a person wears and how they behave in them can convey who they are in a very powerful way. Martin Brody is no exception.
We first meet Martin Brody at home, he’s in the bedroom with wife Ellen (Lorraine Gary) and dressed in a relaxed way with grey t-shirt, shorts and plimsoles. Light colors. This is important for as the story of JAWS unfolds, Martin is wearing progressively darker colors.
The next scene he is in the kitchen, wearing the same light clothes, as is Ellen. There is lots of light in the room too, but there is one element that foreshadows the terror to come - blood. Michael has cut his hand badly and proudly shows his bleeding hand. Then the phone rings….. news of a missing swimmer.
After leaving the house, we see Martin meeting Cassidy on the beach. Brody is wearing a beige Amity PD jacket, indicating authority and duty. Again, a light, almost neutral color. This could also signify Brody’s light mood and ignorance of the dangers and challenges ahead but also, the jacket is the same color as the sand on the beach showing us he is more comfortable on land. Until the blow of Deputy Hendrick’s whistle, he appears totally relaxed.
The next key scene is Brody’s meeting with Mayor Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) on the ferry. He is still wearing his sandy/beige Amity PD jacket but is now visibly uncomfortable. The assumed immunity his job offers him is disappearing under the pressure of a cover up.
The next change in Brody’s costume is during the Alex Kinter shark attack. Looking at the shot below, we can see Martin’s costume is a contrasting dark t-shirt and light shorts. I believe this shows two conflicts. The light shorts signifying both the land and his hope that the shark is gone and life will continue as normal; whereas the dark blue shirt represents the shark’s domain of the ocean and the dark forces that have manipulated Brody to keep the beaches open.
At the town hall meeting, Brody is now wearing a dark blue variation of the Amity PD jacket, significantly over his sand colored police shirt. It literally shows the dark forces of the cover-up shutting out the light of Brody’s true human nature of honesty and integrity. It could also indicate the repercussions of the shark’s actions beginning to dominate the island’s decisions.
At home, Martin is a shirt over t-shirt kinda guy - a variation of the contrasting layers we’ve previously seen. What’s interesting is that his t-shirt is grey. I believe the color grey may represent truth in JAWS.
Brody has just been reading about sharks, educating himself with the facts of his unexpected foe. In this instance, as the t-shirt is an undergarment, then we could be seeing the emergence of the reality of the situation and it cannot be denied. Grey will make another, significant appearance shortly.
In the autopsy scene, Brody is again wearing dark blue over light sand, with Hooper wearing a grey sweatshirt. In this scene, Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) represents the truth in the form of expert opinion. It was a shark. Hooper’s findings will be reported back to the institute from which he came, meaning there will be no cover-up. Brody can no longer be complicit in the town’s lie which will put him at odds with the Mayor and its residents. But what decision will he make?
Perhaps the most important moment for this particular costume combination is Brody’s very public chastising by the mother of shark attack victim, Alex Kintner. Here, Mrs Kintner slaps the chief in front of those who moments earlier were celebrating the capture of the supposed shark responsible for her son’s death. This is a plea from one parent another to stop any more loss of life and also a wake up call for Brody the man and officer to stand up to the dark forces and regain his integrity. The battle for Brody’s soul has truly begun.
“Clothes make a statement. Costumes tell a story.”
The Tiger shark autopsy is Brody’s first act of rebellion - he can do anything, he’s the chief of police. In this scene, there is a crucial inversion of the dark blue and ligther sand/beige costume contrast we have become used to seeing. For the first time since the shark attacks, the lighter colors are on top of the dark, showing a reversal in power. This could be to do with the act of rebellion of the autopsy itself but also because Brody now has a powerful ally in Hooper. Brody is ganing in confidence.
And what about the move from NYC to Amity? Brody hates the water, so what was the driving force? Ellen pressured Martin to move as he wasn’t coping in NYC? The reason is deliberately unclear but could indicate the start of Martin’s demasculation.
After the Tiger shark autopsy and discovery of Ben Gardner’s boat and head, Brody and Hooper confront Mayor Vaughn. Brody has reverted back to his dark over light costume combo, usually associated with compliance but this time it is a false visual as he aggressivley (almost hysterically) pleads with the Mayor to close the beaches and kill the shark. This costume combo is to show the Mayor that, publicly at least, he is still playing ball, hoping this will give the Mayor the opportunity to back down and close the beaches without losing face. However, the plan fails as the Vaughn ignores Brody’s and Hooper’s pleas and keeps the beaches open for 4th July.
Brody on the beach after the shark hoax (left) and at the hospital after the fatal attack on the estuary victim
On the 4th July Brody wears all beige (his land colors), showing a further rebellion against the Mayor by showing his intention not to interact with the lie at all, let alone the shark. While on the beach, he has a couple of buttons undone, showing a grey (truth) t-shirt underneath.
After the attack on the estuary victim, the grey t-shirt is even more exposed, meaning the truth is now undeniable and directed at Mayor Vaughn who hastly signs the contract that will allow the town to hire Quint (Robert Shaw) to kill the shark.
After Qunt is hired, Brody is seen getting ready to leave Amity Island to join the hunt for the shark aboard the Orca. Like a protective shield, almost every inch of Martin is covered by waterproof material. Poor Martin is so out of his depth. He cannot comprehend what he is about to face - and that’s just the ocean, let alone the shark. He’s like a child going on their first school trip accompanied by his over-protective mother (in this case his wife Ellen).
Once at sea, Martin has ditched the waterproofs, and has gone back to his classic dual layer combo but this time the colors are much more interesting - a grey shirt over a black sweater. We understand grey represents truth, and in this instance grey is at the forefront of Brody’s costume. For the entirity of the scenes until Quint’s Indianapolis speech, Brody wears the same costume. So what does black mean? Let’s find out.
During the scene our intrepid trio are eating, drinking and singing Brody wears all black. It’s at this point of the story that Martin feels a sense of belonging by people outside his family. Martin will wear the darkest of dark colors for the remainder of the film. Something is changing.
After finding his sea legs and bonding with Quint and Hooper, a new Martin Brody is emerging. A more confident, stand-up guy. The man we all knew he could be. Black represents death. In this case, the death of the old Martin Brody and crucially, it foreshadows that he is death for the shark. Note: Martin kills the shark not wearing his glasses. Another sign the old Martin is dead - he doesn’t rely on them nearly as much in JAWS 2.
So that’s my analysis of what Chief Brody’s costumes in JAWS really mean. Do you think my theory holds water or am I just chummin’ sh*t? Tell me your thoughts in the comments.
Words by Ross Williams
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The above article was in-part inspired by our video: ‘Man vs Shark: The study of JAWS and masculinity’