Flick of The Day: Jaws

It is easy to overlook the significance of this film, some 36 years after its original release in the Summer of 1975, given the numerous sequels and poor imitations that have come in its wake and the body of work that has been been created by its director, Steven Spielberg, perhaps the most famous director of al time, if not the most talented. This is where it all began for Spielberg, sure it wasn't his first feature but this was the film that set him on the path to greatness. This is also where it all began for another Hollywood behemoth, the Summer Event Movie. 

Jaws (30th Anniversary Edition)

Amazing though it may seem to those who have grown up in the era of co-ordinated worldwide releases, that there was a time, before Jaws, when film's opened gradually, starting in a few theatres in New York and Los Angeles before gradually spreading their wings across America, before being released in Europe and then further afield. The film opened simultaneously in hundreds of screens backed by a marketing campaign, something unheard of hitherto. A massive hit, it's box office gross is equivalent to $1.9bn in today's money, it was also one of the first times Hollywood released a major film in Summer. Previously, Summer was where studios dumped pictures that they otherwise couldn't get rid of, because hey, who went to the cinema in the Summer other then kids? And who cares what kids watch?

Based on the best-seller by Peter Benchley, Jaws told the tale of the small town of Amity Island, a resort town in the mould of Martha's Vineyard or Cape Cod. Late one night at a beach party, a drunken couple go swimming. The man falls asleep on the shoreline while the girl swims out to a buoy. That's when the first attack comes. It is terrifying yet you see nothing other then a girl being pulled beneath the waves. In one scene, Spielberg has captured the audience's attention and doesn't let go for the rest of the film. We are introduced to the local police chief, Brody, played with world weary resignation by Roy Scheider. When the body of the first girl washes up on the shore, his first instinct is to close the beaches in the name of public safety. However, the slimy Mayor Vaughan, brilliantly played by Murray Hamilton, hoves into view and decrees that  the beaches must remain open for the height of the Summer Season. Of course, before long the body count begins to pile up and the town has no choice but to do something. Hooper, an oceanographer played with wit and charm by Richard Dreyfuss believes he can track the shark and a local fisherman, Quint, played by Robert Shaw in a performance that is at times crazed and at times soulful but always mesmerising, offers to catch and kill the shark for a reward in a great speech at a town meeting.

"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 the pond chasin' bluegills and tommycods. This shark, swallow you whole. Little shakin', little tenderizin', an' down you go. And we gotta do it quick, that'll bring back your tourists, 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 for three, but I'll catch him, and kill him, for ten. But you've gotta make up your minds. If you want to stay alive, then ante up. If you want to play it cheap, be on welfare the whole winter. I don't want no volunteers, I don't want no mates, there's just too many captains on this island. Ten thousand dollars for me by myself. For that you get the head, the tail, the whole damn thing."

So of the three men set in a boat, to catch and kill the mythic beast. It becomes this epic fight between Quint and the Shark, each trying to get the better of each other. Perhaps the strongest aspect of the film is that you don't see it for so long, for as always the mind is the best breeding ground for fear. When the shark puppet does appear on screen, it is too big to be realistic, but by that point you are in too deep. Spielberg chose to keep the mechanical Shark's screen time to a minimum as it was so unreliable. It turned into a masterstroke. The film is anchored by some fine performances from the three leads but particularly Robert Shaw. He created the character of Quint, giving it a back story all of his own creation. In a famous scene, he recounts a tale from his time in the Navy.

"Japanese submarine slammed two torpedoes into our side, Chief. We was comin' back from the island of Tinian to Leyte... just delivered the bomb. The Hiroshima bomb. Eleven hundred men went into the water. Vessel went down in 12 minutes. Didn't see the first shark for about a half an hour. Tiger. 13-footer. You know how you know that when you're in the water, Chief? You tell by looking from the dorsal to the tail. What we didn't know, was our bomb mission had been so secret, no distress signal had been sent. They didn't even list us overdue for a week. Very first light, Chief, sharks come cruisin', so we formed ourselves into tight groups. You know, it was kinda like old squares in the battle like you see in the calendar named "The Battle of Waterloo" and the idea was: shark comes to the nearest man, that man he starts poundin' and hollerin' and screamin' and sometimes the shark go away... but sometimes he wouldn't go away. Sometimes that shark he looks right into ya. Right into your eyes. And, you know, the thing about a shark... he's got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll's eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be living... until he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then... ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin'. The ocean turns red, and despite all the poundin' and the hollerin', they all come in and they... rip you to pieces. You know by the end of that first dawn, lost a hundred men. I don't know how many sharks, maybe a thousand. I know how many men, they averaged six an hour. On Thursday morning, Chief, I bumped into a friend of mine, Herbie Robinson from Cleveland. Baseball player. Boatswain's mate. I thought he was asleep. I reached over to wake him up. Bobbed up, down in the water just like a kinda top. Upended. Well, he'd been bitten in half below the waist. Noon, the fifth day, Mr. Hooper, a Lockheed Ventura saw us. He swung in low and he saw us... he was a young pilot, a lot younger than Mr. Hooper. Anyway, he saw us and he come in low and three hours later a big fat PBY comes down and starts to pick us up. You know that was the time I was most frightened... waitin' for my turn. I'll never put on a lifejacket again. So, eleven hundred men went in the water; 316 men come out and the sharks took the rest, June the 29th, 1945. Anyway, we delivered the bomb"

Spielberg was 27 when he completed Jaws, the film had gone way over its schedule and its budget had ballooned to $10m. Indeed the studio was afraid it had a big flop on its ends. In the end, aided by a great story,some fine performances and a brilliant score from John Williams, he created his first masterpiece.

The film tapped into people's fear of the unknown and the late '70s paranoia about corrupt officials bureaucrats. You really did believe that Amity could be your town. Indeed, the film is credited with a fall off in beach visitors in the Summer of 1975. Perhaps its biggest and most dubious achievement, was showing the Hollywood studios that there was money to be made from Summer cinema goers, something confirmed by the success of a little film called Star Wars in 1977. This has led to each summer since being littered with some of the worst Hollywood homogenised crap ever since. It is almost impossible to visit your local multiplex during May and September without being bombarded with ads for the latest sequel or event picture. Each year, there are more sequels then originality being churned out. It is now almost the case that if you want to see intelligent cinema, you go independent. Sure there are exceptions, but they are that. That's not a great legacy for Jaws but its something that should detract from a very fine film, one of the best.

Flick of The Day: The French Connection

The Motion Picture Production Code or Hays code as it was popularly known came into being in 1934 and required all films to be certified prior to release. Of course, this meant that producers had to tone down anything sexually explicit or violent in order to obtain certification. This was effectively artistic neutering and meant that so many subjects could just not be tackled. This code held sway until the late 60's when it began to fall apart, giving the film-makers of the 1970's so much more licence. Today's film, The French Connection was one of the first to make use of the no-boundaries 70's. It broke the mould for the police procedural genre and its effect can still be felt in cinema today.

The French Connection

Directed by the supreme ego that is William Friedkin, The French Connection tells the tale of two narcotics cops and their attempts to take down a heroin importing kingpin. Popeye Doyle, played with zest and gruff natural charm by Gene Hackman and Buddy Russo played ably by Roy Scheider. On a hunch, they follow Sal Boca, a small time criminal, and his girlfriend home from a nightclub after they spot him throwing money around like confetti. Their suspicions are proved correct and they quickly realize that Sal is involved in a large conspiracy to import heroin from Marseilles and that suave businessman Alain Charnier, a terrific Fernando Rey, is the man behind the French connection.

The film is photographed with a gritty realism, almost documentary in style. Stark black and white credits buttress an opening sequence that is without preamble and pulls you in immediately. Friedkin was a documentary film-maker before moving to features and this shines through in his work. It is perfect for this story however as the true story that lies beneath the French connection is an intriguing one. In reality, the connection provided the majority of the heroin that flooded the streets of New York in the late 60's and early 70's. Indeed, there is a tale that in preparation for the film, the real Doyle and Russo took Friedkin on a trip to a flophouse that was a mere 8 blocks from his apartment. 

The character of Popeye Doyle, so perfectly portrayed by Hackman is a landmark in cinema. He is one of the first screen anti-heroes, gruff and profane and at times racist but always devoted to the job, even to his own detriment. Hackman deservedly won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance, which makes the film. It adds to the overall sense of realism, something reinforced by the downbeat ending which suited the film and was typical of the era. It is a great shame that the films that came after this did not stick to this level of realism for it makes for compelling viewing. The film is perhaps best remembered for its car chase scene, in which Popeye chases an overhead train through the streets of New York in the middle of the day. Legend has it that the producers did not have any permits to film this scene and instead just set off one day and Friedkin filmed what occurred. It is thrilling and there is a great feeling of speed as Popeye tries desperately to get his man. This is perhaps the best place to end this review. Enjoy!