Jaws - 'How Does Spielberg Create Tension?'

How does the director Stephen Spielberg use filmic techniques to build suspense and build tension for the audience in the film Jaws?

Stephen Spielberg is a very famous director and well known for his high budget action films. The film that will scare anyone and live on for generations is the terrific Jaws, the first ever block bluster in 1975. His tagline was very catchy and ment something to people as in when people went to see Jaws, to then go on holiday they did exactly what it said “Don’t go into the water”. The view on Jaws was very different and certificates for example: U.K rated it a PG, France rated it 12, Germany rated it 16 and Argentina rated it an 18 but that might be because they do suffer from shark invested waters.

At the very beginning of the film you only see a black screen but in the background you hear the sound of the sea, which immediately links to what the film could be about, but then as soon as you seethe actual sea, you go straight underwater with something swimming through seaweed which makes the audience curious and nervous to see what is lurking in the water and the penetrating music in the background. To then have a complete different scene with teenagers having a good time on the beach but the audience knows there us something out there and anyone who goes into the sea is a victim for the unknown beast.

When the camera pulls back to show a wide shot of the sea it reminds you of what is out there and the danger but the teenagers don’t know or suspect anything. Also there is a titled frame with a high angled shot this shows the teenagers are weak and defenseless if they go into the water. The camera tracks a girl called Chrisy, so you connect to her and feel for her as soon as you see her running towards the water, with the boy following her the audience already suspect the danger, and to see which one it is. As she dives into the sea you hear a bell-tolling that symbolizes death and funerals, but the audience knows that something awful is about to happen where Stephen Spielberg is very good at creating suspense so when it happens you are shocked and surprised which makes an already excellent film to an even better one.

The camera then swoops underneath the water and music begins signaling danger, you have a point of view (POV) of the shark watching Chrisy’s legs kicking that’s when you feel for her and just want to shout at her “Get out the water”.

The music is low thumping strings and as the shark draws in and gets closer to Chrisy’s legs the music begins to get louder and starts to get quicker, the tension builds up. To suddenly be on the top of the water and Chrisy gets dragged underwater, above the water there is just silence as she comes back up she is screaming getting dragged and shook all over. The shark releases his tight grip on Christy and she grabs on to the bell and you wish that her pain is over but she is isolated, no where for her to go. For her to be then dragged under again.

There are pauses in the attack where you see the boy on land safe, this shot is shown with a long shot (LS) which is really good because it still shows the sea which is a good comparison with the land being safe and the sea is a dangerous place until this beast is killed. You leave the safe boy to the danger of Chrisy she is shouting “it hurts” as she is pulled under the water once again. She reappears and you are hoping that it is nearly over for one last sudden outburst of “God help me” as she disappears under the water you just feel relieved that the pain for her is over. After all the pain and fear you have just seen the bell is in the background again with a long shot (LS) to show the extent of the sea and the unbelievable creature that is living out there at the present time. Stephen Spielberg is very good at making the audience relate to the characters and feeling for them.

You leave the night to a bright sunny day at Amity which is a big tourist town and lives for the money of tourists and the attraction it has and also the new home of the sheriff Brody.

In the Alex attack, you see Alex walking towards his Mother and straight away it’s a tracking shot and you relate to him again like you did with Chrisy. Also in this scene there are fake/false alerts where Brody is watching out into the water where a girl screams and Brody shows his emotion in his face because he knows that there is something out there. There was a close up (CU) on Brody and where ever he looks it is out to sea and any one in his way he kept trying to dodge them.

A dog then runs across the screen with his owner which then the camera tracks the dog and you connect to the dog but not the owner as you learn her name Percy and she is going into the water which makes the audience query who is the next victim Percy or Alex or is it neither. Stephen Spielberg really throws you because both the Dog and Alex run into the water at the same time. Brody’s sons both want to go into the water and Brody agrees to let them in but he is un aware that the owner has lost his dog Percy and is shouting for him worriedly as you hear him shouting the camera goes to a medium shot (MS) of just a floating stick on top of the water. You now know that the shark has had his starter but you do wish that the shark