What we can still learn from JAWS almost 50 years since it's release
Hello, Islanders,
A question I’m asked often when people find out my favorite film is JAWS is “why?” What is it about the film that, nearly 50 years later, I still talk about it? I have many answers. But the one I use the most is that, as a film, JAWS is as relevant today as it was in 1975.
It is a testament to both director Steven Spielberg and producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown that JAWS was even made. There were so many problems involved in the production that, had Universal pulled the plug and scrapped the project, no one would have doubted their decision. But that stick-to-it attitude continues to be reflected in today’s Hollywood, even though it’s much easier to make a film these days, thanks to the technology of today.
It is relevant to me because it is the film that I compare all others to. I love a lot of films, but there can be only one Number One. It is relevant because it is still being talked about almost five decades after its release. That is almost unheard of in the history of cinema. I can name on the fingers of one hand the films that, despite having been released decades ago, are still talked about and, in fact, earn new fans with each generation: Gone With the Wind, The Godfather, JAWS, Star Wars and Titanic. In nearly 100-years of movies, only FIVE continue to be part of the current culture. These films struck a chord with audiences that led to fans all over the world not only embracing them but going out of their way to share them with friends and family.
Whenever I host a screening of JAWS one of the first things I do is ask how many people in attendance are seeing it for the first time? I usually see at least ten hands raised. When asked, they will say that a friend or family member “made them come,” or that they wanted to see what the hubbub is all about. Afterwards I make it a point to seek them out and get their opinions. I’ve yet to talk to someone that wasn’t blown away by what they had just seen. If it’s a multiple showing event I often see them coming back to see it again, usually with another person, presumably hoping to create yet another fan.
JAWS is also relevant in the way it continues to be a part of popular culture. Not six months ago, “The Shark is Broken,” a play about the making of the film, was on Broadway, after an almost 2-year run on London’s West End and in Toronto. For the past few years, new toys and action figures have been produced and snapped up by fans. Heck, there’s even a brand new JAWSpinball game!
With the film’s 50th Anniversary a little more then a year away, you can bet that the film will continue to remain relevant for many years to come.
Words by Michael A Smith. Michael is co-author of Jaws 2: The Making Of The Hollywood Sequel. You can order the book by contacting Michael at OsFanMike@aol.com.
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