As a film, Jaws is a force of nature, breathtaking in the perfection of craft on display. There’s a maturity to the filmmaking that seems beyond Spielberg’s years if you take into account where in his career he made such a film.
The acting in the film is pitch perfect: right for the movie, right for the era, right for the characters. There can be no arguments that the USS Indianapolis monologue is one of the finest ever given in the history of film. Seeing anyone else even attempt it is cringe-worthy. Robert Shaw is a force of nature himself in this film as Quint, the salty sea captain who is hired to kill the shark.
Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss fill out the cast, giving perhaps the finest performances of their lives.
This new Blu-ray restoration of the film adds back in a new character to the film: flawless sound and picture quality. I’ve seen this film about a dozen times on the big screen on 35mm. I don’t miss an opportunity to see it when it’s being played in revival houses. And comparing those viewings, and the viewings of my well worn DVDs, to the Blu-ray experience is a little disappointing, only because the Blu-ray looks so fantastic and this is the way the film should be viewed. The colors are crisp, the sound is so well-orchestrated, and the transitions look better than they ever have. The colors didn’t seem as though they were off, which is something you get with some Blu-ray transfers, but these felt just right.
Here’s a piece about the restoration:
As for bonus material, this Blu-ray is packed to the gills with every sort of thing you could want.
As for me, the new documentary (and the old one) are the perfect way to spend an afternoon recharging my creative batteries. The documentaries give you that feeling that you were there and all parties involved seem so enthusiastic about the work they did and the film they made, even 40 years out, that their enthusiasm is infectious.
After watching the film, I never wanted to get in a boat and go out on the water again. I’m not drunk enough for that. After watching the making of the film, I never wanted to get in a boat and make a film on the water more in my life.
This movie stands up so well that it’s hard to imagine why they don’t try making films this great anymore. I mean, some people do, but this film is just… It’s a pinnacle of cinematic achievement. It really hasn’t dated at all. What made it feel contemporary still feels contemporary, but it’s also something of a period piece as you look back on it. Can you imagine a film like this capturing the cultural zeitgeist again in this day and age for a summer blockbuster? It might just be too sophisticated… I don’t know.
What I do know is that this is a Blu-ray you should be picking up today. Or ordering from Amazon. It’s only $17.99 for the Blu-ray and DVD combo pack. Well worth the money.
I might be biased, though. I’ve picked up every version of Jaws they’ve ever released and kept coming back for more. There aren’t many films I do that with. Star Wars and Indiana Jones mainly. And Citizen Kane. And Seven Samurai. That’s a pretty small list of fine films that I have like 40 copies of.
Jaws is in good company.