BP’s Top 100 Movie Challenge #20: Jaws, by Sarah Brinks
I decided to undertake a movie challenge in 2017. This seemed like a good way to see some classic movies that I have unfortunately never seen. The Battleship Pretension Top 100 list provided such a challenge.
I remember the first time I tried to watch Jaws. I was ten years old, at a friend’s house. We put in the VHS tape and the opening with the girl skinny dipping and being eaten by the shark was so scary we turned it off. I had caught parts of the movie on cable over the years, but I think I was out of college before I finally watched Jaws in its entirety. It has now become a favorite movie to put on and just enjoy.
I have a pretty heathy fear of the ocean and Jaws doesn’t do anything to convince me that I am wrong. I’m not even close to as afraid as Chief Brody, but his is a fear I understand. You can also understand why the mayor and the business owners want to keep the beaches open, but it is hard to believe that anyone could be as blind and stupid the people in Amity seem to be. While the beginning of the film used to scare me, I think the most shocking moment in the film is when the little boy on the raft gets eaten. So rarely do we see children in films in genuine peril but Spielberg goes for it. It makes the moment when the boys’ grieving mother slaps Brody earned and really heavy.
Jaws has full of fun characters. Quint might be the most famous. He is rude, obnoxious, and over-confident, but he is also very compelling. Robert Shaw knocks it out of the park, fully committing to the salty seadog character. I have been a lifelong Richard Dreyfus fan and he is wonderful as Matt Hooper. I like that he is an academic but he also has kind of a rouge element. When you find out that he is rich, but is a scientist because he loves, it adds a lot of depth to his character. I also really like Murray Hamilton as the single-minded Mayor. He does come to realize what a huge mistake he made but he is a great character and foil to Chief Brody. Brody might be my favorite character. The dynamic he has with his wife and kids is so endearing and gives him real stakes when he is trying to do his job and when he finally goes out on the sea.
The three men together on the boat hunting the shark is maybe my favorite part of the film. The scene at night in the cabin when they are sharing “scar stories” and singing songs is delightful. The famous monologue about the USS Indianapolis is an actors’ dream and Shaw delivers it perfectly. It is also fun to watch them try to outsmart the shark. The moment when they become desperate enough to put Hooper in the cage, you know it has gotten really bad.
I have always been a fan of “creature features” and monster movies and Jaws is that and so much more. It is endlessly rewatchable and fun.
I’ve decided to rate each film using an arbitrary scale based on the board game Battleship (lowest: Destroyer, Submarine, Cruiser, Battleship, highest: Carrier)
Jaws ranking: Carrier
Sarah’s ranking of the Top 100 movies… so far (100-21):
100 FIGHT CLUB
99 MANHATTAN
98 BADLANDS
97 SOLARIS
96 BLUE VELVET
95 DUCK SOUP
94 BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID
93 BREATHLESS
92TAXI DRIVER
91 ANNIE HALL
90 ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST
89 WERCKMEISTER HARMONIES
88 THE BIG LEBOWSKI
87 ANIMAL HOUSE
86 RAGING BULL
85 JULES AND JIM
84 BLADE RUNNER
83 RAN
82 FANNY AND ALEXANDER
81 BICYCLE THIEVES
80 NASHVILLE
79 BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN
78 WILD STRAWBERRIES
77 LA DOLCE VITA
76 THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC
75 SUNRISE
74 THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE
73 TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
72 BRAZIL
71 OLDBOY
70 JFK
69 CITY OF GOD
68 8 & 1/2
67 GRAND ILLUSION
66 THE PLAYER
65 THE DARK KNIGHT
64 THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI
63 MEMENTO
62 RASHOMON
61 METROPOLIS
60 FORREST GUMP
59 BACK TO THE FUTURE
58 SOME LIKE IT HOT
57 SUNSET BLVD.
56 GOODFELLAS
55 THE APARTMENT
54 LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD
53 AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD
52 MAGNOLIA
51 CITY LIGHTS
50 FANTASIA
49 ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF A SPOTLESS MIND
48 THERE WILL BE BLOOD
47 THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL
46 THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
45 PATHS OF GLORY
44 STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE
43 RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
42 NETWORK
41 THE SEVENTH SEAL
40 SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
39 REAR WINDOW
38 DIE HARD
37 THE GENERAL
36 IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
35 GHOSTBUSTERS
34 THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
33 EYES WIDE SHUT
32 FINDING NEMO
31 THE WIZARD OF OZ
30 M
29 GROUNDHOG DAY
28 THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
27 STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
26 PSYCHO
25 THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY
24 PERSONA
23 THE LIVES OF OTHERS
22 AMELIE
21 IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE