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Jaws (film)

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Jaws is a famous American thriller film from 1975.

Jaws on marquee of Latchis Theater, Brattleboro, VT (August 2025)
Jaws on marquee of Latchis Theater, Brattleboro, VT (August 2025)

It was directed by Steven Spielberg. The story comes from a 1974 novel by Peter Benchley. It follows a police chief named Martin Brody. He lives in a summer resort town called Amity Island. Brody must protect people from a large great white shark. The shark attacks beachgoers in the water. This movie is a very important part of film history. It is known as the first summer blockbuster.

Jaws (1974) back cover featuring a portrait photograph of Peter Benchley by Alex Gotfryd, first edition
Jaws (1974) back cover featuring a portrait photograph of Peter Benchley by Alex Gotfryd, first edition

To tell the story, three men work together to hunt the shark. Martin Brody is the local police chief. He teams up with Matt Hooper, a marine biologist. They also hire a professional shark hunter named Quint. The three men go out to sea on a boat called the Orca.

Mechashark
Mechashark

They face many dangers while hunting the creature. The shark is very large and powerful. The men must use skill and courage to survive. The movie shows how they face their fears on the ocean.

Making the movie was a very hard job. Most of the filming happened at Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. This took place from May to October in 1974.

Menemsha
Menemsha

The crew had to shoot mostly on the actual ocean. This was a new challenge for a big movie. The mechanical sharks used for filming often broke down. Because of these problems, the production went over its budget. It also took much longer than the original 55-day schedule.

Steven Spielberg had to find a new way to show the shark. Since the mechanical shark did not work well, he suggested the shark's presence instead. He used music to make the audience feel scared. Composer John Williams created an ominous and minimalist theme. This music tells the viewers that the shark is coming.

UniversalStudiosJawsSharkCloseup
UniversalStudiosJawsSharkCloseup

This clever idea helped make the movie even more exciting. It turned a technical problem into a famous part of the film.

Jaws changed the way Hollywood makes and sells movies. It was released on over 450 screens at once. This was a very wide release for that time. Universal Pictures used many television ads to tell people about it. The film was the highest-grossing movie in history for two years. It stayed number one until Star Wars was released. In 2001, the Library of Congress chose it for preservation. This means it is a treasure for the United States National Film Registry.

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🖼️ Images & Media (7)
File:Steven Spielberg Keren.jpg
Steven Spielberg Keren.jpg
File:Jaws (1974) back cover featuring a portrait photograph of Peter Benchley by Alex Gotfryd, first edition.jpg
Jaws (1974) back cover featuring a...
File:Menemsha.jpg
Menemsha.jpg
File:Mechashark.JPG
Mechashark.JPG
File:'Jaws' Pulls Them In - Star-Herald (1975).jpg
'Jaws' Pulls Them In - Star-Herald (1975).jpg
File:Jaws on marquee of Latchis Theater, Brattleboro, VT (August 2025).jpg
Jaws on marquee of Latchis Theater,...
File:UniversalStudiosJawsSharkCloseup.JPG
UniversalStudiosJawsSharkCloseup.JPG
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