When Jaws first surfaced in cinemas, it didn’t just terrify audiences, it changed the face of film forever. The original summer blockbuster, Steven Spielberg’s shark tale embedded itself deep in the cultural imagination. To mark its 50th anniversary, Film Ireland‘s Conor Bryce asks his fellow contributors to wade back into the cinematic waters that first turned blood-red in 1975.
“When the water is warmer.
When the beaches open this summer.
You will be taken…
By Jaws.”
(Original teaser trailer, 1975)
And taken we were. When Jaws hit sold-out multiplexes in 1975, everything changed. From making summer the favoured season for blockbusters to inspiring filmmakers to ditch over-the-top gore in favour of tension-building terror, it also instilled a fear of the unseen in countless generations of movie-goers.
To mark its 50th anniversary, we sent out a call to our contributors to share their thoughts on the movie; from their favourite moments to exploring why it still endures. Unsurprisingly we weren’t short of eager replies, it’s just one of those movies that sparks discussion. Well-loved, well-known and above all a damn good movie – Jaws, we salute you. Here’s to swimmin’ with bow-legged women…
Do you remember the first time you watched Jaws?
Carmen Bryce
I can’t pinpoint the first time, but I can bet I was far too young for it! It was the 80s, a time before appropriate age classification and helicopter parenting and I had two film-loving older brothers. Jaws is blended with a few of my stand-out childhood memories like wailing in the bath that the shark was coming to get me through the taps, or watching it on the telly after a family day at the beach, or smugly mouthing all the words to it at a sleepover while the less hardy girls cried for it to be turned off. Jaws has just always been there.
Matthew Briody
I can’t remember exactly what age I was, but I know I was very young. After being told that I could leave the sitting room at any point if the film got too scary for me, we sat down and my eyes were opened to the wonder of Spielberg and sharks. I wasn’t afraid. Instead, I remember the Jaws theme playing back in my head repeatedly for the next few days. My dad would mention fun facts and trivia about the film as we watched it; this was something he always did when he would show me a classic film for the first time.
Pia Roycroft
I was about 6 years old. I know that’s way too young for anyone to be watching Jaws, in fact I didn’t watch it under the supervision of my parents but rather alongside my older cousins at my aunt’s house. My parents were not very happy about this as I recall having nightmares about it for a while afterwards!
Steven Benedict
I was about eleven years old and I saw it at Christmas on television. It had been billed as the scariest movie we would ever see. When school resumed in January, we were all talking about it, reliving the gory moments.
Ronan Power
Jaws was one of the first movies I rented out of the video shop and watched non-stop until I had to return it the next day. It was a thrilling movie from the start. I remember every jump scare from the head appearing at the hole in the boat as Hooper was underwater, to the shark popping out of the water as Brody is flinging the bloodied meat into the sea to attract him. The music teamed with the ominous fast pace and particularly gory horror stayed with me for years.
June Butler
I was born in the sixties, so I have the honour of being of age at the time of the first screening in 1975. I saw the movie first and then read the book. The book was darker, more sinister and the characters were less formed than those in the film. For me, the triumvirate of Brody, Hooper and Quint was the real story. Without their relational interaction, I think the film would not have had that first impact it did on me.
Mick Jordan
It would have been on television in the 1980s. Luckily I saw the unedited version first, because the moment that frightened the life out of me was included. I was relaxed and enjoying the film which had lulled me into a false sense of security…then very casually the shark just POPS out of the water, giving Roy Scheider – and me – a massive shock.
Dora Matijević
I don’t remember my very first-time watching it, but I do remember that it was just before a summer trip to the coast, when my uncle and cousin would go for early swims before the crowds arrived. One morning, they invited me to join them. It was so quiet that I could almost hear the notes “duh-dun, duh-dun…”Before I knew it, I was peeking under the surface, spinning around. In the end, I managed to stay calm by hiding behind my cousin and uncle, comforting myself with the thought, “If the shark comes, it’ll eat them first…”.
Mark Hannigan
I’ve seen bits of Jaws my entire life, but I am surely one of the few people of my age who saw Jaws for the first time in their late 30s. I watched it as a film analyst, so my experience was certainly unusual.
Conor Bryce
I can’t remember the first time specifically, but it was definitely a “Saturday night TV” family experience – which may seem like a strange thing to say about what is primarily a horror! It had such weight attached to it in terms of cultural impact though, even with us all stone-cold petrified of that damn shark it was a movie that everyone had to watch, and talk about in school on Monday.
How has your own perception of it changed over the years?
Carmen Bryce
When I was very young, Jaws was my monster under the bed (or in the taps), then as I grew up it became my comfort blanket movie. It’s become more precious to me as the years have gone on and as an adult and film fan, I can now appreciate its greatness, its nuances, its depth, more every time I watch it. It’s my favourite film and the gift that keeps on giving, and now I can’t wait to watch it with my nieces and nephews when they’re old enough… any day now!
Ronan Power
I have grown to love the movie even more as the years tick by. I have read the books about the difficult filming challenges that the crew had to go through to bring the story to the screen, the immense pressure the young director Steven Spielberg was under at the time, the fractured relationships of the three lead actors. I introduced Jaws to my kids and it’s become a great bonding movie for the three of us to cuddle up to and watch, even to this day.
Mick Jordan
The first time I saw it I just enjoyed it as a thrilling film. Over the years as I’ve become more interested in and more aware of how films are made I have noticed how well constructed the film is. The timing and the build-ups throughout really rack up the tension.
Steven Benedict
When I began watching it to study, the first thing I noticed was what Spielberg was doing with the camera – putting it low to the water, his famous reverse zoom, an entire sequence with cuts hidden by people crossing the frame. For me it’s now a wonderfully crafted piece of art that has permeated across popular culture.
June Butler
Now that I can view it with a more seasoned eye, it has really grown in stature. A year or so back I went to see it in 3D, it was interesting to see it from a different slant. In a strange way, because everything is so dated now it allowed me to leap from ‘that would never happen’ to realisation that it just might.
Conor Bryce
I’m in a great place in my life where I could watch Jaws with my eyes closed and still be able to call out each and every scene. It’s so well-loved and known to me, I can pay more attention to the little moments I originally missed, the background characters, the arcs, the foreshadowing, all of it. And it’s well up to scrutiny – such a deep, lived-in movie that never runs dry. Now when I watch I’m instantly there, part of the unfolding drama, looking out for that next unsung moment to discuss.
Why do you think it has endured in popular culture?
Pia Roycroft
Because it’s so iconic, but at the same time so simple? It’s permeated so far into the DNA of society, let alone filmmaking, that you just need to say “duh-dun…” and everyone knows what you are talking about.
Matthew Briody
As well as being a fantastic film, it is endlessly quotable. I knew the line “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” before I had even seen the film. I also think the score is also a big reason for Jaws‘ enduring popularity in popular culture. That “duh-dun, duh-dun…” that plays when the shark is about to attack is something that’s now cemented in pop culture.
Carmen Bryce
It’s just a really, really good film. There’s no empty dialogue, no wasted shots. It’s visually stunning, has incredible performances and Spielberg is so masterful at storytelling with skilful pacing, character development and chemistry that it’s as close to the perfect film you can get. All that and the most effective two note musical score ever created.
Steven Benedict
The terror is palatable. That’s one of the secret ingredients to Spielberg’s films. No matter the horror he is depicting, his sensibility is always hopeful and optimistic and sprinkled with light. There is a lot to be said for maintaining your faith in mankind.
June Butler
It’s essentially two stories in one. The first half is about family man who believes a shark has come to the waters of Amity and is desperately trying to warn the island inhabitants of the danger that lurks. The second half is a buddy movie – three men from vastly different walks of life, finding themselves fighting a common enemy. Story one sets the scene. Story two perfectly sutures the loose strands together.
Mark Hannigan
It’s the perfect movie. It’s scary, it’s pacey, it’s charming, it’s gorgeous to look at, it’s human. It’s about an individual up against the odds, a family, and a community. It’s also directly about fear. Brody is afraid of the sea, but that’s where he must go. It ends with him lying completely flat, an inch above the Atlantic Ocean, his boat sinking and land nowhere near…and the scariest creature alive is heading right for him. He must master his fear, concentrate, and save himself and his community. And it’s never said out loud. It’s all expressed through action. Every single one of us understands that journey somehow. That’s its power.
Do you think it still scares today?
Mick Jordan
Yes, because of the clever techniques used to frighten an audience. There’s no CGI, it all feels completely believable.
Matthew Briody
Over-reliance on CGI in today’s creature features has made monsters less scary. Similar to how Spielberg’s animatronic dinosaurs in the original Jurassic Park scare more than the CGI ones in Jurassic World, the fact that the shark in Jaws is a mechanical creation means it doesn’t look dated when you see it now. It really holds up.
Ronan Power
It’s so real. The main danger is not so far-fetched. The great white shark is a natural phenomenon. It’s not an alien or a creature created in a lab, it could happen today. It’s the one film I notice teenagers’ eyes don’t gloss over when it comes on the telly. And I still keep looking behind me when swimming alone in foreign seas.
Pia Roycroft
Being attacked, let alone killed, by a shark is statistically so rare that it taps into the “what if” part of our imagination. Humans are very much afraid of the unknown, and I think that’s exactly why this film works.
Mark Hannigan
There’s something about sharks, and sea creatures that is naturally really freaky. Those dead eyes are a real thing. Terrifying…
Carmen Bryce
Yes, the shark attacks are violent and shocking. But if Jaws was just about a killer shark on the loose, would it still be scary today? Probably not. The film taps into our primal fears – a danger we can’t see, a monster that threatens the identity and livelihood of a small island beach community, the fear of not being safe in our own town. Like all good horror classics, no number of years or rewatches will change that.
Which contemporary films and filmmakers do you believe have been most influenced by Jaws?
Carmen Bryce
I think you’d be hard pushed to find a director who hasn’t been influenced by Jaws in some way. Jaws broke ground in being the first ‘summer blockbuster’ release with a marketing campaign so clever that it had people queuing outside cinemas to see what would make them too afraid to ‘go in the water again.’ Isn’t that every filmmaker’s dream – to create something that endures, that challenges the traditional trope, that pushes the boundaries and the audience to the edge.
Pia Roycroft
I think in all honestly there are too many to count. I know technically Hitchcock’s Vertigo was the first use of the dolly zoom, but I think realistically Jaws stole the show with it, so much so that some even call it “the Jaws effect”. Just that alone shows how even just one shot is just so effortlessly important.
Steven Benedict
Odd as it may sound, James Cameron. His ability to construct an action sequence around a single idea and emotion results in incredibly streamlined stories. Cameron also goes into dark territory, but his sensibility is similar to Spielberg’s, if a little darker and sharper. He believes in humanity. Most other directors who are “influenced” by Jaws and Spielberg miss the point. It’s all technique and no heart.
Dora Matijević
I think what has mostly inspired other filmmakers is the idea of an unseen threat and the masterful suspenseful build-up that Spielberg perfected. It’s more about suggestion than overexposure – showing just enough to create tension and fear.
Conor Bryce
Show me a modern horror movie that hasn’t been influenced by Jaws in some way. I’ll wait.
What’s your favourite moment in Jaws?
Carmen Bryce
I’ve always loved the scene earlier on in the film when Brody walks from the police station to the hardware store after he’s just been told by the coroner that it was a shark attack that killed Chrissie. There’s so much in that few minutes and it tells us about the innocence and naivety of the Amity community and by contrast, our first real introduction to our dogged yet vulnerable hero Brody. It’s Hitchcockian the way it builds the tension between the two forms as the scene goes on – the white picket fences, the sunshine, people hanging up bunting for the summer, disrupted by the subtle chaos of the scene. You know Spielberg doesn’t waste a single detail to signal the looming threat of the monster, and the threat to our hero’s resolve. There’s something so pure if not naïve in how Brody marches to the store to get the things he needs for the beaches closed signs. – he’s just been told there’s a shark in the waters, his waters so he’s going to shut it down, but the community is literally creating a barrier every step of the way. The visual storytelling in this scene the building drama, the character development in only a few moments, with very little dialogue is what makes Spielberg, Spielberg.
June Butler
Quint’s monologue on the sinking of the Indianapolis during World War II. Forget about Marlon Brando’s “I coulda been a contender” diatribe in On the Waterfront, Quint’s narration of the tragedy is one of the most moving and memorable film moments ever. It’s definitely in my top three.
Ronan Power
The nail-biting near final scene with the shark heading towards Chief Brody. Hero against killer predator, win or lose, the final checkmate from either side. If Brody misses, it’s all over. One of the best closing lines from an action sequence. “Smile, you son of a…”.
Dora Matijević
The film enthusiast in me is a big fan of the dolly zoom shot on the beach. It’s a Spielberg masterstroke – how he places us right in Brody’s shoes and captures that sudden jolt of panic and realization is just brilliant. The subtlety is inspiring. It’s a reminder that tension comes from technique, not just action.
Conor Bryce
I know it’s cliché, but I find a new one with practically each rewatch. However, one scene I feel doesn’t get enough attention comes after Chief Brody has been slapped by Mrs Kintner – the mother of the second shark attack victim – for keeping the beaches open and putting her boy in harm’s way. The mayor consoles Brody by saying she’s wrong to blame him, and Brody answers that she’s not. As Brody is walking away, Hooper walks into frame and looks after him with a mix of respect, pity and resolve in his eyes. It’s such a lovely little moment – Hooper hasn’t long arrived in Amity, and is still taking stock of Amity, and is still taking stock of the situation. But the way Brody shoulders the responsibility of the Kintner death seals it – Hooper is going to stay to the bitter end and help him. Forget all the frights and thrills – it’s these character-building moments that make Jaws a masterpiece for me.
Who’s your favourite character?
Carmen Bryce
Chief Brody. I even named my dog after him. He’s every Irish dad. Brave, flawed, out of his depth, protective, and fond of the drink. His vulnerability is so endearing – I love the scene where Quint and Hooper are comparing scars and Brody thinks about showing his appendix scar but thinks twice as it can’t compete. Every time I watch Ellen tells him there’s extra glasses in his socks before he departs on the Orca, I melt. Brody has integrity coming out of his ears in comparison to the sliminess of Mayor Vaughn who has zero morality or even in contrast to Quint and Hooper who can’t see past their peeing contest. Brody’s intentions are pure, and the fact that he’s terrified of water makes his mission all the more heroic. We just know that slap from Alex Kintner’s mum is something he’ll never recover from no matter how many sharks he kills.
Mark Hannigan
It’s hard not to go with Mayor Vaughn, as he is such an amazing example of “that kind” of politician, businessman, person. But I have to go with Brody. He’s an odd protagonist in a lot of ways. He’s leading an action film, but he’s afraid. He’s leading an action film, but he’s a total everyman. He’s leading an action film, but he asks his son for a kiss because he feels totally defeated.
Mick Jordan
The three main leads are all engaging in their own way. They are very different people brought together for a common purpose and their interaction as a group makes them more interesting.
June Butler
Robert Shaw as Quint. When Quint talks about the desperate cries for help from the crew of the crippled Indianapolis, the pitiful pleas and screams of pain as sharks picked off the sailors in the water, he is truly in the moment and far from the curmudgeonly difficult character previously portrayed. Quint goes from irritating and provocative through his speech and actions, to a human being with thoughts and feelings. Someone who has witnessed unspeakable horror.
Ronan Power
I feel Shaw and Quint are one – complicated, angry, drunkard, alone, never backs down and a genius. I can’t see Lee Marvin or the other potential actors at the time taking this role and giving to it what Robert did. Add to that Shaw being on record as actively disliking Dreyfuss as an actor and person, and their characters’ fights and tensions only add to the realism.
Matthew Briody
Hooper. He’s not your typical heroic character, but he is a key character needed to stop the shark attacks. I like that he’s not really a man of action as much as he is a man of science. I also think his pairing with Quint and Brody is one of the best parts of the film.
Conor Bryce
When I was young, it was the enigmatic Quint. When I was older, it was stoic everyman Chief Martin Brody. But more recently I’ve felt drawn to Ellen Brody. She’s arguably the strongest character in the movie. She navigates both the shark attacks (not to mention her son almost being a victim) and her husband’s dogged sense of duty as police chief with courage and level-headedness. While Martin is charging ahead with his plans for a boys-only adventure with the salty seadog and rich shark fanatic, she’s remaining practical to ensure he survives it. Their relationship is strong but realistic, with easy chemistry and mutual respect, raising two young sons but still finding time to ‘fool around’. She’s unashamedly proud of him – when one woman asks her what he’s doing when he’s seen on top of an observation tower, she quickly answers “his job”. For me, she embodies the emotional impact of the shark attacks – a woman grappling with the risk of her family being torn apart by both a predatory animal and Amity’s predatory bureaucrats.
Dora Matijević
When I was younger I thought Brody was the hero. Then I went through a phase where Hooper was my guy. But the older I got, the more I realized something: the shark isn’t the villain here. He’s just hanging out in his crib – his ocean – and suddenly a bunch of people show up with guns, hooks, cages, and a vendetta. What did he do? Swim? Eat? Be a shark? Let’s be real: he’s a predator, but so are we. The double standard is wild. Imagine being hunted in your own living room just for being hungry. So yeah, I’m Team Shark.
Mayor Larry Vaughn’s point-blank refusal to believe the shark attacks is so memorable, it’s become a meme. Why do you think the film’s portrayal of denial still hits today?
Carmen Bryce
It’s not Vaughn’s greedy prioritising of money over public safety that’s the worst thing about him. It’s his complete lack of empathy that’s infuriating. He only agrees to the shark hunt when his own family are threatened. He’s completely unbothered by the suffering of others. He’s also a terribly incompetent and narcissist leader with too much power – a big fish in a small pond, pardon the pun, and the relentless spinning of his own version of the truth is uncannily Trump in nature. Even after Hooper presents him with a shark tooth – nope, didn’t happen. I love Hooper’s almost maniacal laugh at this point, because such strong denial in the face of all the facts is maddening.
Steven Benedict
Corruption and indifference are part of the human condition.
Dora Matijević
It mirrors real-life leaders who ignore expert warnings – especially during crises like COVID-19. His refusal to close the beaches for economic reasons still resonates today as a symbol of dangerous denial. The mix of frustration and absurdity makes it both hilarious and enraging at the same time.
Matthew Briody
Nowadays when truth is constantly changing and the rise of AI and deepfakes has us questioning everything we see, Mayor Vaughn’s denial is something that viewers can still see happening. This makes it impactful, even today.
Mark Hannigan
If recent years and difficulties have taught us anything, people are willing to lie to themselves or accept easy lies rather than face difficult truths. Mayor Vaughn, and his effect on Brody, personify that unfortunate aspect of human nature. Alien, Predator, Godzilla, Jurassic Park…all examples of enduring multi-movie creature features. Would you want to see the Jaws franchise resurrected?
Matthew Briody
If it was a director who understood the legacy of the original and the importance of using practical effects over CGI, then it could work. I’d like it if they went down the classic route of bringing in new characters who were the children of the original characters; Brody’s sons could show up again, maybe Hooper’s child could be part of the action too. I would love appearances from Richard Dreyfuss and Lorraine Gary reprising their roles from the original film, even if it was just cameo appearances.
Pia Roycroft
No. I really don’t like sequels unless there was an intention from the beginning. Too often do we get forced sequels that kinda don’t hit the mark. I think it would kinda just annoy people if we were to continue on, especially when sequels already exist for Jaws that were…just okay. I also have a big problem with sequels being made lately in general as it seems that they are heavily favoured funding wise over new, original creations, and that’s pretty annoying.
Dora Matijević
I wouldn’t want to see it. The reason is simple – I’ve been disappointed by almost every resurrection, sequel, and remake so far. Most of them feel like money-making schemes, trying to cash in on a successful franchise by relying on loyal fans who watch out of habit, even if they don’t expect it to live up to the original. I just don’t want to support that kind of laziness and greed. It’s time for fresh ideas.
Conor Bryce
The sequels proved the premise of a Jaws ‘cinematic universe’ is a bit silly. Movies like Godzilla and Jurassic Park lend themselves well to multi-movie franchises, with rich and varied rogue’s galleries to pick and choose from. But Jaws is built around an isolated and random incident and how characters deal with it. To quote John McLain in – ironically enough – Die Hard 2, “how can the same sh*t happen to the same guy twice?”
And that leads me to the forbidden question…here goes – if someone were to break the unbreakable vow and remake Jaws, who would you like to play Brody, Hooper and Quint?
Pia Roycroft
- Brody: Walton Goggins (I think he could do that so well).
- Hooper: Gustaf Skarsgård (something Swedish about Hooper to me, and Gustaf is kinda underrated as an actor).
- Quint: Viggo Mortensen (gotta keep those ‘kind-looking yet could turn lethal at any moment’ blue eyes).
Carmen Bryce
- Brody: Paddy Considine or Joaquin Phoenix.
- Hooper: Kieran Culkin or Tom Holland.
- Quint: Daniel Day Lewis or Denzel Washington.
Mick Jordan
- Brody: Kate Winslet (it would be interesting to see a woman play the part, and she has already done something similar in Mare of Easttown).
- Hooper: Paul Mescal (he’s the right age and obviously good. Plus I’d love to see the two gladiators together battling off each other).
- Quint: Russell Crowe (there couldn’t be anyone else, I just know he’d have a ball in the part).
Ronan Power
- Brody: Luke Grimes.
- Hooper: Zach Galifianakis.
- Quint: Willem Dafoe.
Dora Matijević
- Brody: John Krasinski.
- Hooper: Either Ben Foster or Jake Johnson.
- Quint: Josh Brolin or David Harbour.
Mark Hannigan
- Brody: Michael Fassbender.
- Hooper: Tom Holland.
- Quint: Tom Hardy or Josh Brolin.
Conor Bryce
- Brody: James McAvoy or Kristen Wiig (both have very likeable everyman/everywoman qualities)
- Hooper: Nicolas Hoult or Barry Keoghan (just picture him saying “well there goes that dream” as the shark he wanted to study get exploded by Brody).
- Quint: Brendan Gleeson or Forest Whitaker (he’s practically the Star Wars universe’s answer to Quint as Saw Guerra).
Matthew Briody
- Brody: Pedro Pascal (he’s usually a trustworthy and likeable lead).
- Hooper: Daniel Radcliffe (if you look at him in Escape from Pretoria with long hair and a beard, it’s easy to imagine him in the role).
- Quint: Nick Nolte (picture him delivering Quint’s iconic speech with that gruff, distinct voice).
June Butler
What made this film so absolutely amazing was the fantastic chemistry between Brody, Hooper and Quint. Brody, the compassionate family man, Hooper the snobbish, spoiled ‘rich kid’, and Quint the old sea dog who has seen and done it all. For me, to suggest anyone other than those three actors could play the three roles, would be like saying Nicolas Cage knocked it out of the park in the remake of The Wicker Man…
A big thanks to Conor and the Film Ireland reviewers for sinking their teeth into such an iconic film.
