If
you’ve read many of my blog posts, you’ve probably noticed that I love sharks!
In fact, Jaws is my favorite movie. But what is so great about it? (Aside from
a big shark eating people of course…)
What
makes any story a good one?
The
protagonist:
 |
| Ellen Brody: "Martin hates boats. Martin hates water." |
The
guy you love to hate:
 |
| Quint: "$10,000 for me by myself. For that you get the head, the tail, the whole damn thing." |
The
antagonist:
 |
| Spielberg and Bruce, the infamous malfunctioning mechanical shark. Much of the film had to be shot from the perspective of the shark rather than film the shark itself. |
Setting:
 |
| Mayor Vaughn: "Amity is a summer town. We need summer dollars." |
Unforgettable
dialogue:
 |
| Brody: "You're gonna need a bigger boat." |
Scares,
blood, and that holy shit moment: I won’t give these away with pics. If you
haven’t seen the movie, just go rent it!
What
other elements do you think make a great story?
You're gonna need a bigger boat. LOVE THAT LINE!
ReplyDeleteComic relief: when they're sitting around on the boat telling fish stories.
ReplyDeleteNote: This movie still scares the crap out of me. I saw it for the first time when I was in like... 4th grade or something. All I really remember about watching it then was that I started out sitting with my feet on the floor and my butt where it's supposed to be, but as the movie went on, I climbed higher and higher on the couch, and by the time it was over, I was completely perched on the top of the seat back with my back against the wall and my feet held up as high as I could get'm.
You really have to watch out for those under-the-sofa sharks.
I read the book. After the first chapter I put it down and could not open it for half a year. It took me that long to get the courage to read the rest of it.
ReplyDeleteThen I saw the movie. I came out of the theater with shaky knees. It scared me even though I knew what was going to happen!
A long long time ago, when I was doing Summer Camp in the wilds of Wisconsin (really!) we used to have a weekly 'swim across the lake' session for all the kids who wanted to take part. Escorted by counsellors and lifeguards, of course. One day some bright spark put the Jaws music on over the PA. It was chaos... screams... panic... everyone scrambling to get onto boats or just to the shore...
ReplyDelete(sigh) I wonder what those kids are doing now.
I was never scared by this movie, not even as a child, and I'm not really curious to see it. I guess I'm just not wired that way. There's plenty things that attract me and no one else. Go figure. But I always enjoy when somebody is able to transmit their passion for something and I got yours. Nice post.
ReplyDeleteFrom Diary of a Writer in Progress