Jaws turns fifty
and still fascinates

1975’s summer blockbuster established Steven Spielberg as a master director and ushered in sea monster-themed films

By Irwin Rapoport

June 26, 2025

“Don’t go into the water” was the theme of the summer of 1975 and last weekend marked the the 50th anniversary of the release of Jaws, a film which pitted a gigantic man-eating great white shark against the seaside New England community of Amity Island, ending with the unforgettable, action packed contest between the 25-foot voracious creature and shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw), Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), and marine biologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfus) on board the Orca.

This film, which originated the summer blockbuster, is a perfectly paced thriller that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats, beginning with an easy-going late-night beach party, setting the scene for the demise of a young woman skinny dipping in the calm ocean waters. Her death initiated a rapid killing spree. This article, ‘Jaws’ took a big bite out of the box office and changed Hollywood, describes the impact of the groundbreaking film.

Peter Benchley wrote the novel, his first, in 1974, and it spent 44 weeks on the bestseller list. Filming began in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, in the same year. The community has embraced the film, honouring the anniversary with a week-long celebration. Benchley wrote the first screenplay and portrayed a reporter.

There is a creature alive today who has survived millions of years of evolution, without change, without passion and without logic. It lives to kill – a mindless eating machine. It will attack and devour anything. It is as if God created the Devil, and gave him Jaws.

– From a television ad promoting Jaws

This was Steven Spielberg‘s (27 at the time) second Hollywood production. It is considered by many critics and reviewers to be his finest. I was 12 when I saw this masterpiece, and it remains one of my all-time favourites. With a great script, a perfect cast, an antagonist that we only see in its full splendour halfway through the film, and solid cinematography, who couldn’t love it? Composer John Williams, who later scored a multitude of film scores for Spielberg and George Lucas, provided the music, highlighted by the menacing theme for the shark based on two simple notes. Williams has joked that when he passes, the theme from Jaws will be recognized as his defining moment and played at his funeral.

Pacing was the key. The first half of the two-hour film ratchets up the terror and mayhem, with Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) desperately attempting to downplay the threat and refusing to close the beaches. Every time a death occurred, and he had the opportunity to be decisive, he brushed off the deaths. The final and very public death of a man in a small boat jolted the mayor to take the situation seriously, and then the hunt began. Spielberg’s eye for detail, authenticity, and timing enthralled audiences – you saw the action through the eyes of the shark and the cast.  The dialogue was realistic, and the emotions were real.

Television ads promoted the film that was number one at the box office for 14 weeks. This one captured its essence: “There is a creature alive today who has survived millions of years of evolution, without change, without passion and without logic. It lives to kill – a mindless eating machine. It will attack and devour anything. It is as if God created the Devil, and gave him Jaws.”

We played shark at our summer home and public pools, grabbing friends by their feet. I wasn’t afraid to go into the water, but millions certainly felt that dread. The film was an international success, and those unaware of great white, tiger, and other large sharks,  which, for the record, do not prey on humans, suddenly became fascinated by this ancient lineage of fish that has roamed the oceans for 450 million years, pre-dating trees. This fascination continues with the Discovery Channel’s annual Shark Week aired every summer.

The film gave us a plethora of classic lines, which, when uttered, identify it immediately. Here are a few:

“Shark, the shark!” – yelled a young woman as the shark swam into a lagoon.

“You’re going to need a bigger boat.” – Martin Brody to Quint, after seeing the shark close up.

“Boys! Oh boys? I think he’s back for his noon feeding!” – Matt Hooper to Brody and Quint

“Y’all know me. Know how I earn a livin’. I’ll catch this bird for you, but it ain’t gonna be easy. Bad fish! Not like going down to the pond and chasing bluegills and tommycods. This shark, swallow ya whole. Little shakin’, little tenderizin’, down you go. And we gotta do it quick, that’ll bring back the tourists, that’ll put all your businesses on a payin’ basis. But it’s not gonna be pleasant! I value my neck a lot more than three thousand bucks, Chief. I’ll find him three, but I’ll catch him and kill him for ten.” – Quint, speaking at a selectmen’s (council) meeting to decide how to react to the shark.

“I don’t think you appreciate the gut reaction people have to these things… Martin, it’s all psychological. You yell ‘Barracuda,’ everybody says ‘Huh? What?’ You yell ‘Shark,’ we’ve got a panic on our hands on the Fourth of July.” – Mayor Larry Vaughn to Brody, who was determined to keep the beaches open.

“My Alex was a beautiful boy, and you killed him. Did you know that? You knew there was a shark out there. You knew a girl got killed here last week. I just found that out. But you knew it! You knew there was a shark out there! You knew it was dangerous! But you let people go swimming anyway? You knew all those things, and still my boy is dead now. And there’s nothing you can do about it. My boy is dead. I wanted you to know that.” – Mrs. Kitner to Brody, on the day of the funeral for her late son Alex.

“You open the beaches on the 4th of July, it’s like ringing the dinner bell for Christ’s sakes.” – Brody to Vaughn

Hooper: “Mr. Vaughn, what we are dealing with here is a perfect engine, an eating machine. It’s really a miracle of evolution. All this machine does is swim and eat, and make little sharks, and that’s all. Now, why don’t you take a long, close look at this sign? [refers to billboard graffiti] Those proportions are correct.”

Vaughn: “Love to prove that, wouldn’t ya? Get your name into the National Geographic.”

This is just a taste of the well-crafted dialogue, which is on par with The Magnificent Seven. For more dialogue, check out these websites: 25 Chilling Quint Jaws Quotes From The 1975 Blockbuster Film, and Movie Quotes Database, Jaws (film).

Inevitably there were the sequels, and Jaws spawned three of them – Jaws 2, Jaws 3-D, and Jaws: The Revenge. Amity Island and the lives of the Brody family were forever linked to great white sharks.

Fish stalking and attacking humans was fully explored with films such as Piranha, Piranha 3D, and Barracuda. There are many more that are not worth your time.

Hollywood even brought back to life the megalodon, a giant shark reaching 80 feet in length, as the enemy. This prehistoric creature went extinct 3.6 million years ago. The Meg, starring Jason Statham, was released in 2018 and Meg 2: The Trench, in 2023. Will there be a Meg 3?

Deep Rising (1998), directed by Stephen Sommers of The Mummy franchise, is really good. It all begins with a cruise ship on its maiden voyage in the Pacific Ocean.

Crocodiles hunting humans was the backdrop for 1999’s Lake Placid, with a screenplay written by David E. Kelley and featuring an all-star cast. The saltwater crocodile is the bad guy, but the witty dialogue and character development of this comedy horror film are the secret of its success. The crocodile centers the film, but the relationships between the characters make it so enjoyable. Check it out. Just like Jaws, Lake Placid hatched the horrible sequels – Lake Placid 2, Lake Placid 3, Lake Placid: The Final Chapter, Lake Placid vs. Anaconda, and finally Lake Placid: Legacy.

Anaconda (1997), a horror comedy that did not take itself seriously, was very entertaining with a cast including Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Jon Voight, Eric Stoltz, and Owen Wilson. But then things went downhill via Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, Anaconda 3: Offspring, Anacondas: Trail of Blood, the crossover with the Lake Placid franchise, and to be released this December, the reboot – Anaconda, with Jack Black and Paul Rudd.

We have films with sea creatures from the bottom of the ocean that were dredged up to the surface. They follow the format of the Alien film franchise. If monster films with an aquatic theme are your happy place, you have plenty to choose from.

The epic thrill ride that is Jaws has stood the test of time. If you haven’t seen it in a while, watch it again. And for those who haven’t experienced it, take a trip on the Orca. You won’t regret it.

Feature image: promotional material for Jaws

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Irwin Rapoport is a freelance journalist with a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Concordia University.