Jaws Review Essay

Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film Jaws focuses on Amity Island, off the coast of Massachusetts. Notable for its beaches, the island is a popular tourist spot that is preparing for its biggest holiday of the year, the Fourth of July. However, in the days leading up to this event, the small town becomes the victim of multiple shark attacks. In Jaws, the relationship between human beings and nature falls into a close examination. Throughout the film, people and nature react negatively to the actions of each other. Yet, despite the film’s specific example of the relationship between humans beings and nature, it prioritizes humans over nature and fails to raise awareness of nature’s vulnerability. The beach and the ocean, which serves as the primary

The film centers on Chief Martin Brody’s quest to stop the shark that is killing people in Amity. Thus, more time is focused on the “emotional affect” the shark has on Chief Brody and his repressed fears causing him “morbid anxiety” (Neff 57). Moreover, the chief is directly affected by the shark when, on the Fourth of July, the shark nearly attacks and kills his son, causing his son to faint on the beach (Jaws). Through the trials that Chief Brody faces, he draws the most interest from the audience. Of all the characters within the film and the various forces of nature, the chief is the only character who's story is fully developed. Throughout the film, he goes from being a concerned and helpless sheriff to the savior of their town. He is positioned as the figure that is meant to be focused on throughout the film. As a result, Jaws does not do much to raise awareness about

In Jaws nature is portrayed as an aggressor towards humans. However, nature is at the mercy of humans. When the tiger shark is captured, Hooper informs everyone that “the bite radius on this animal is different than the wounds on the victim” (Jaws). In addition, when Hooper finally examines the shark, he finds that the shark only contains other fish and a license plate, and not a body (Jaws). Thus, the fishermen have caught the wrong shark and the one responsible for the attacks is still in the ocean. Through this “it becomes clear that the sharp is uncannily vulnerable” (Jeff 57). However, this is not what the humans recognize. Although they recognize that they have captured the wrong shark they do not perceive it as being innocent or vulnerable. Instead, the audience is drawn “further away from the true shark” (Jeff 57). Thus, Jaws does not raise its audience’s awareness about the adverse ways that human beings treat nature. In a moment where an emphasis could have been placed on how the human’s actions towards nature result in innocent creatures being hurt, it instead places a greater emphasis on the