My best friend still won't go into the water without fear because of this movie she saw in 1975. Jaws is consistently in the top of scariest movie lists. What is it that makes it so terrifying?
The opening scene with the death of Chrissie is one of the most iconic in film history. The camera sees the girl from the shark's viewpoint. The music starts. A tug under the water. Her cries aren't heard by the boy on the beach. The brutality of the attack is obvious, but not spelled out. This is a case of all the elements -- story, point of view, lighting, music, set -- coming together to accomplish perfectly the director's goal to terrify the viewer.
The next surprise in the story is the death of a child, generally a movie taboo. This scene, where Police chief Brody is on the beach worried about the swimmers, is particularly tense. With each pan of the camera to a new swimmer, we wonder if they're going to be the one who gets attacked. You sense that the shark is coming, but the tension continues to build until the music and the attack come together in perfect timing. When the boy is actually pulled under, the quiet is as frightening as the music was.
The characters in the story are well developed and interesting. In Brody we see humanity (especially in his relationships with his family), compassion as he tries to save lives and protect the townspeople, and courage as he goes to battle with the enormous beast. Hooper's neurotic intellectualism provides some of the comedic relief. Quint comes across first as opportunistic and gruff, but as he relates his war tale we are introduced to an underlying source for his rough exterior. We see him then as frightened, determined, and deeply touched by the deaths of those around him. The shark itself feels like a developed character -- intelligent, driven, brutal, and even vengeful.
An interesting sub plot is Mayor Vaughn's role. The mayor is more concerned about profits than lives, and continues to put people at risk. Brody is intimidated and coerced into keeping the beaches open against his better judgment, and lives are lost due to their combined negligence. Brody carries a weight with him for the rest of the film, adding to our empathy for his character.
The special effects with the shark are not quite up to today's standards, but for 1975 are well done. The mechanical shark is believable, and the views of the shark from the top down as he goes under the boat are impressive. It's well known that the mechanical shark wasn't working well for much of the time, and that does seem to be a gift to the film as often what we imagine is scarier than reality.
The story's exploitation of a very natural fear of the water gives it an advantage from the start. Good directing, good acting, and attention to all the details of film making make Jaws stand out as one of the better films of its genre.
Waking Ned Divine is best described as a quirky character film, but there's much more to it than that.
The mise en scene is very well done, with all the elements of costume, set design, lighting and music working together in creating a small Irish village for the audience. Within that village the characters -- the real stars of the show -- come to life and create the drama and tension.
The editing through most of the film is so seamless as to be nearly invisible. The natural flow of interesting shots express the mood and intent of the characters well. A good example of this is during the chicken dinner. We are moved easily from one conversation to the next as we pick up on the small gestures and conversations that guide the friends to learning the truth about the lottery winner.
An interesting side story is the love story of Maggie and Finn. The filmmakers keep the tension between them with dialogue, and with the distance between them in the visuals. One excellent example of this is the scene in the woods where Finn tells Maggie he's been using fruity soaps.
Pig Finn: Oh no, it's peaches. Peach soaps, Maggie.
Pig Finn: Could be strawberries. Oh, Maggie.
In this scene, there is a playful interaction between the two of them, with their physical distance widening, then they come together, then apart again. Their physical distance is mimicking their emotional conflict. At several points during this scene, Maggie runs across the screen away from Finn as he begs, beckons, and chases and we are given a good sense of where they both stand in their relationship.
The twist in the pub scene about the real father of Maggie's son is done with well placed shots of Maggie and Jackie, Finn and the boy. The friendships, good will, love, and more complicated relationships are all well represented visually and with sound and music.
One well done sequence is near the end of the movie, as the villain Lizzy is making her move to spoil the whole plot. As her motorized chair runs out of battery, she is shown getting out and making her way (very ably) to the phone booth. Cut to the lottery official driving out of town as Lizzy gets into the booth. We are reminded of the people in the village that we've grown to care about celebrating with a well placed shot in the pub, then back to Lizzy making the call that will ruin it all. When the returning priest swerves and hits the phone booth, it shoots into the air and off the cliff as we return again to the celebrating pub. When the booth shatters on the ground at the same time the pub erupts into cheers, it is a great moment.
Epic is really the best word to describe Ben Hur. The attention to detail and the scale of the project are so impressive they would be worth watching even if they were all the movie had going for it. It's easy to see why the movie won 11 Oscars.
One of the things I enjoyed the most about the story is the changing, growing characters. The first example is Messala. A boyhood friend of Judah Ben Hur, at first we see the obvious affection and shared history of the two. It's not long into their first scene together that we are shown there's been a change in Messala, and he's come back to Jerusalem a man hungry for power and eager to prove his worth to Caesar. I was stunned to see the extent of his ego and corruption when he condemns not only Judah, but his mother and sister as he says, "By condemning without hesitation an old friend, I shall be feared." He goes to his death with the revelation to Judah that his family is alive and they are lepers, and the words, "The game goes on, Judah!" With those words we see that even facing death he is unrepentant and merciless.
Judah's journey is less linear than that of Messala. It's easy to see that he is a kind man in his interactions with Messala, with his overseer Simonides, and his mother and sister. He stands up for his people when he refuses to help Messala betray dissenters, and we are shown his personal integrity. After being condemned, we see strength in his work in the galleys, and compassion in saving the life of Quintas Arrias. We are also shown his dark side in his contempt for Rome, and his hatred and revenge-seeking for Messala. I was waiting anxiously for Judah to overcome the bitterness, and it came at the end.
Judah: I heard Him say, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Esther: Even then.
Judah: Even then. And I felt His voice take the sword out of my hand.
With those words, Judah is transformed and chooses compassion, forgiveness, and love. The acting of this part by Charlton Heston is excellent.
The chariot scene has to be mentioned, the scale is amazing and almost unbelievable. I have always heard that someone died in the making of the scene, and it's not hard to see why that's a believable rumor. The crowds of real people all dressed and playing their part is a feat I don't think any director would dare attempt today.
I thought the way Jesus Christ played a part in the movie was an interesting aspect. His face was never shown, his words never heard directly, and yet he was an integral part of the story line. Judah's first interaction with him was when Christ gave him water as he came through Nazareth. This lone act was obviously impactful to Judah, as he talks about it when on the ship "Once before a man helped me, I didn't know why then." And when he sees Christ in the final scenes, he recognizes him as the man who showed him compassion when at one of his lowest points. I think this is a great choice on the part of the director, William Wyler, as any direct portrayal of Jesus Christ is bound to have many differing opinions and criticisms. By using this tactic, he maintains the important role of Christ in the story without the risk of offending his religious audience.
The opening scene with the death of Chrissie is one of the most iconic in film history. The camera sees the girl from the shark's viewpoint. The music starts. A tug under the water. Her cries aren't heard by the boy on the beach. The brutality of the attack is obvious, but not spelled out. This is a case of all the elements -- story, point of view, lighting, music, set -- coming together to accomplish perfectly the director's goal to terrify the viewer.
