Jaws: Great White Shark and Amity Island Essay example

Jaws
The 1975 summer hit thriller, Jaws, took over movie theaters in and around this country like no other movie has done to date. Jaws depicts an overwhelming battle between a police chief and his arch nemesis, a killer great white shark, Jaws. The movie is set on a small island off the coast of Massachusetts called Amity Island. The chief of police, Martin Brody, was recently hired onto the two man police department as an attempt to escape the crime filled New York City streets where he previously worked. Martin Brody, or Chief as he is called most, quickly learns of a new and greater battle like he never experienced on the street of New York City - Jaws. The movie depicts an old theme – the epic “David versus Goliath” battle, concluding with Chief Brody as victor.
Jaws involves numerous characters from all walks of life. Anyone who has watched Jaws know of the infamous, Quint. Quint is shown to be an old salty fisherman with a rough outer shell, likely a bi-product of his fisherman lifestyle. During the movie, Chief Brody contacts and later hires Quint to charter a fishing vessel called the Orcha to navigate the ocean for Jaws. Chief also has the aid of another interesting character named Matt Hooper. Matt Hooper has been assigned from a federal agency to assist Chief Brody with the investigation of the great white shark. Matt Hooper also comes from a family of wealth and prestige and has an elite education regarding nautical navigation. Matt Hooper and Quint will clash throughout mainly based on the personal pride and ego Quint’s no nonsense, hardnosed principles of see faring.
The casting of these three main roles was superb. Each actor brings to life the character in such a way that you believe them, empathize with them, and feel like you know them personally. Roy Scheider plays the role of Sheriff Brody, Robert Shaw depicts the infamous Quint, and Richard Dreyfus takes on the role of Matt Hooper. As Robert Ebert concludes, although “all three performances are really fine. Scheider is the character most of us identify with.” Any viewer can relate to a man struggling against his own deepest fears to do what he feels is right, a fear so common amongst viewers, especially in light of the circumstances surrounding the movie. But, all three men bring such skill to the movie and “come across with wit and easy self-assurance” (Canby). It is the acting, along with the intense action and seamless integration of the two that make Jaws the classic that it is.
All of this action (and acting) takes place on Amity Island, a small island nestled off the coast off Massachusetts. Amity Island is described as a working class tourist town. The people and businesses of Amity depend heavily on the tourists that visit their beautiful beaches and spend city money on the island for the limited time summer allows. That said, any disturbance in the fiscal economy will be felt by all and likely result in a long hard winter. Just before the summer kicks off, Amity Island is struck by the heart felt loss of a local islander, Chrissie Waltkins. Chief Brody learns the news of the young girl’s death and with the help of Matt Hooper, discovers Chrissie Watkins was the victim of a shark attack. Chief Brody appears speechless and proceeds to write up the report and document the incident as a shark attack. City officials learn of the Chief’s investigation conclusion and explain to him the repercussions of such an allegation. Amity Island Mayor Larry Vaughn explains to Chief Brody the significance of announcing that Amity Island may have a man-eating shark roving inside the waters off the coast. At this point on the movie, Chief Brody realized the politics involved and is told to look the other way when confronted with the possibility of a man-eating shark lurking in the local waters. A decision which haunts him throughout the movie.
Amity Island decides to keep the beaches open and allow swimmers and beachgoers into the water. Not long

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Jaws: Great White Shark and Amity Island Essay example

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