Jaws Film Critique and Analysis

“We’re gonna need a bigger boat.” Jaws has been known around America as one of the best and most frightening movies for 40 years. But why is this? Jaws has been at the top of thriller films for 40 years because of its use of development of suspense, character development through external action, and character development through use of foils.

The development of suspense in Jaws is one of its best aspects. One suspense technique used by Steven Spielberg is the use of point of view shots. These point of view shots are used in suspenseful scenes such as the shark attacks. The camera is in the point of view of the shark, so we know when the shark is going to strike, but the characters do not. This makes the audience feel very uncomfortable because they want to warn the characters, but they cannot do anything but sit there. Another suspenseful technique that these point of view shots create is dramatic irony. Because of the camera being placed in the point of view of the shark, we know where the shark is and what is about to happen while the characters do not.

Steven Spielberg uses character development through external action in order to make us care more about the film. Through external action, these characters become more real to us throughout the movie. In one scene, chief Brody is with his son at a table and they are making faces at each other. This really makes us care about him so much more because we realize how committed and loving he is to his family. If this scene was here, the audience would not really care what happened to Brody at the end. Now that we relate to him however, we want him to survive and come out on top. Without this character development, the audience is less involved in the movie.

Spielberg uses character foils in order for us to better understand the characters. The movie Jaws has many characters, but two characters in particular are almost exact opposites of each other. Quint and Hooper are foils of each other because of their experiences. Quint is a country man that has spent his days at sea and fought in the war. He is a very harsh and rough individual. He also has experience with hunting and killing sharks. Hooper is a city man that spends his days in a lab studying sharks. He is friendly and not very tough. He has some experience with sharks, but he has not hunted them before. As you can see, these two characters have completely opposite traits. This foil highlights the traits of the two men, and makes Quint seem all the more mean, while making hooper seem all the more soft. This makes the audience more interested in the movie because of the interactions between these two characters.

Jaws stands the test of time as one of the best thriller movies of all time. Not only does it have a great story line, but it also uses some very powerful plot techniques. Steven spielberg does a great job not only developing the characters through external action and foils, but also by developing suspense throughout the movie. When people watch this movie today, they are still frightened by it and they still love both the movie and the characters. Jaws will continue to be a popular movie until these film techniques die out (if they ever do).

Suspense Blog Post -Kyle Jennings

The Shining Suspense analysis
"Come play with us Danny. Come play with us. Forever and ever and ever." This scene in The Shining, one of the best and scariest movies of all time, is etched into our minds as one of the creepiest and most disturbing scenes in all of film history. But what about this scene makes us feel this way? The Shining is a horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick that intended to frighten audiences. Kubrick uses many suspenseful techniques throughout the Shining such as point of view camera, and the use of sound/music.

The use of point of view or POV camera in the Shining makes the film all the more terrifying to watch. In this scene, one of the most famous film scenes ever, Danny is shown riding a big wheel through the halls of the Overlook Hotel when he comes across two little girls in blue dresses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMbI7DmLCNI These girls are seen through the point of view of Danny. Kubrick uses the point of view technique in this scene to make us feel more afraid. The camera first shows us Danny's face (0:35), then cuts to the girls' mutilated bodies (0:50) then shows Danny's reaction to seeing this (1:01). Being able to see what Danny sees makes us feel like we are inside the movie- as if we were Danny. This technique makes the film seem that much more real, and thus makes it that much more scary for the audience.

Another technique used by Kubrick is the use of sound in the film. One scene where sound is used especially well to frighten the audience is the maze chase scene. In this scene Jack is chasing Danny through a maze trying to kill him with an ax. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfpKXa-AhPE The scene starts with almost no music, but you can hear the wind howling in the background giving the scene a very creepy feel. After Danny covers up his tracks and starts running away, the music immediately becomes frantic and harsh. Because the violins have an almost scraping noise to them and they are not in tune with each other, it makes the audience feel uneasy. The random pattern of the music makes the audience feel unnatural and uncomfortable. This random chaotic music makes its appearance in other scenes in this movie, but is used most effectively here.

The use of different in film techniques in horror movies to build suspense is certainly an art. Stanley Kubrick uses these techniques perfectly. By using camera views from the POV of the character he can create the feel of being in the movie. By using a chaotic and frantic musical score mixed with creepy sounds of howling winds creates a feeling of unease and distress within the audience. Stanley Kubrick has done these things and more in the movie The Shining.