Jaws Opening Scene Analysis

Jaws Opening Scene Analysis

The Jaws opening scene is showing shots where teenagers are on a beach surrounding a campfire. They seem to be drinking alcohol and listening to music. Furtherly, two of the teenagers, one female named Chrissie and one male named Cassidy, decide to run off down hills away from the campfire into the ocean for a swim. Although, because they are rather drunken and unaware of their surroundings. Cassidy doesn’t get as far as the ocean, as he falls over in an intoxicated state and Chrissie begins to swim,. Consequently she  gets involved in a great shark attack and dies. The shark attack portrays that the film is part of a horror genre

The title ‘Jaws’ would give the audience a preconceived idea what the film possibly could be about before content is even shown. ‘Jaws’ conveys to an audience that teeth like jaws will be involved. The word Jaws is usually a term used for a sea life creature. Therefore, the audience will have an instinct that someone may get hurt because big teeth and sea creatures associated together seem as if it is a recipe of a disaster. The opening credits support this.

Within the opening scene of Jaws, the campfire is shown first. The campfire in this film is possibly signifying warmth, safety and possibly danger. Red flames usually signify danger also. But, because everyone is safe around the campfire, the campsite in this movie will signify safety. When Chrissie and Cassidy are around the campfire the audience can tell that they are teenagers and they were both drinking alcohol. When the younger generation drink alcohol, it is typical for bad things to happen. They may have also been underage, therefore, the outcome of the shark attack could have been a symbol in response as a punishment to die. Their glance at each other could also signify that they are showing an impression of more than friends. If the attack didn’t occur they may have been a future romance couple.

When the couple left the campsite the atmosphere went to an eerie effect. The air became very misty, this which could represent that the two teenagers left the safe zone. As the two run down the hill towards the ocean. Panning shots were used. Their fast sprint down the hill shows them taking their clothes off as they get further. This narrative coding shows their persona of being careless teenagers. When they get closer to the ocean the camera has let less light into the lens. The darkness symbolizes danger.

Careless Chrissie gets in to the ocean and begins to swim. The camera makes the sea and the sun set the main focus in part of the opening. These subjects are connotations to the audience that the sun set presents the romantic feel too the situation. However, the main focus of the deep, dark ocean, especially with these young teenagers at night whilst drunk will show the danger and overpower the romantic feel.  In addition, the camera uses panning shots which create a great effect. A panning shot is when the camera moves with the object. This happens in the opening scene when the girl is swimming around. However, the panning shot wasn’t the technique which caused the most effective effect. For this is when the camera was water level. This made you feel as if you were the girl alone in the water. It possibly could have been from the sharks perspective. However, throughout the opening scene we do not actually see the shark. Whilst the audience doesn’t capture a view of the shark. This will play on the audiences imagination.  This feature makes the image of the shark be unknown to the audience. This makes the scene more mysterious and eerie. Although, when the shark maybe will get shown in the future this will make the overall effect less dramatic because imagination can create more dramatic mysterious and frightening effects on the audience. But, when you witness the shark they may feel less tense and more relaxed. This can make the film less effective. Therefore, this technique they used overall was a more successful way to start the opening with. Furthermore, when the camera on the water line as the sharks perspective causes the scene to be a lot more dramatic and frightening. The camera moves on to the girl more in an extreme close up way as the attack strikes. This emphasizes the attack. The emphasis on the attack makes things a lot more personal. . The actual filming of this opening scene doesn’t use a very stable camera. It is rather shaky. This was effective because it makes the full action of the scene more personal and less unreal.

Before this, when Chrissie was in the ocean, more shots were used. A point of view shot was used from under the water, this shows how deep the water under her actually is. Yet, to support this depth, the camera uses wider shots to show how far she actually swam out. With distance in oceans, the depth increases. The deeper the more sea creatures inhabit in these locations. When the camera shows this view it would have made the audience worried for her life. Safety is paramount but from these views we know something tragic is going to happen. The theme tune of jaws in the backing begins to play which added to the eerie atmosphere and creates a sense of tension.  In addition, the sounds used in this opening scene are a range of diegetic and non-diegetic. For example; around the campfire when the people are talking, when the teenagers are running down the hill shouting and when the girl screams in the shark attack. All of these are diegetic sounds. However, the only non- diegetic sound is when the theme shark scene music gets played. Also, when Chrissie was swimming in the ocean alive, cross cutting occurs. This happened when the shot was moving between two shots. Herself in the ocean and him laying drunken on he beach. This is showing two difference actions as the shark attacks. Chrissie is screaming but Cassidy is so drunken laying on the beach that he doesn’t know what is happening, neither does he know his surroundings. The cross cutting created a sense of feeling of uncertainity of not knowing what might happen. It plays on the audience and their fears.

Overall, the opening of Jaws was very successful and effective. At times the happenings were unclear. Although, it does show the downfalls of alcohol intake and what can happen with dangers at night significantly too teenagers. This opening scene may be more effective too some than others because they may be able to relate to some of the circumstances. However, if not, all of the suspense created by the filming techniques and producing of the film will still cause an impact on the audience to a thrilling  extent. This unique type of film was very different to other blockbusters of today. The opening was very dramatic and death is usually something which occurs towards the end of a film. However, within Jaw’s the tragedy of the film started at the beginning. This technique sets up the rest of the film in a way which portrays to its audience that more deaths are going to occur and that more tragedy is going to occur which may be similar to the current happenings or even a chance of being worse.