Jaws
Who is being represented in the opening scene? How are they represented? Is it positive or negative?
Oddly enough in the opening scene we are seeing from the antagonists point of view; the shark. It's being represented in a negative way, this is due to the infamous background music being sinister and the way in which the camera moves makes the shark appear to be sly; stalking it's prey. Lurking throughout the ocean depths as the title credits appear on screen.
What do the titles for each opening look like? Do they symbolise the thriller genre?
This does not fit the stereotype of a thriller as we don't usually get to see from a character's perspective. Especially not that of the antagonists. This subverts the stereotype as we get an underwater point of view; the view the shark would get.
Analyse the camera, sound, editing and mise-en-scene. How do these technical areas make you aware that this is the thriller genre?
Camera, sound, editing and mise-en-scene are all used carefully to make the audience aware that the film is in fact the genre of thriller. The use of camera angles helps the audience recognise that the film is in fact of the thriller genre as we get a point of view shot from the antagonist. By using this camera angle the audience can see from the shark's point of view, the way it's stalking and lurking in the water. This connotes that is in fact of the thriller genre. Mise en scene is used to help create tension and represent the genre as thriller, John William's infamous music, is playing while the shark is underneath the water and the titles flash on screen. The music turns what could be something innocently swimming into a ravenous predator that's stalking it's prey. Editing is further used so the opening titles co-inside with the music, flashing on screen when the score hits a louder climax.
Does the narrative in the opening correspond to the conventions of a thriller film? How?
The narrative opening corresponds to the thriller genre, as it stereotypically shows the main actors name's first, then the co-stars and finally ending with the director, thus fitting the conventional opening of a thriller. However, as previously said it subverts a thriller opening as we get to see from the antagonist's point of view for the opening, something that hadn't been done before.
Which production company was the film made by? How might this affect film content?
Zanuck/Brown were the production company. This could affect film content as they would have had very specific ideas about how they wish the film to be portrayed. For instance one of the possible director's John Sturgers got dropped from the job as he kept describing the shark as a 'whale', which the producers were unhappy about.
What do you think might happen in the rest of the film? Give a brief suggestion of the narrative
I think the film will further develop into a cat and mouse chase. The shark will continue causing havoc on the small town thus resulting in people having to hunt the shark down. However, i believe the shark is probably smarter than it looks and instead of the humans hunting the shark, the shark will hunt them.
Title time line
00:31 - 00:35 - A Zanuck/Brown Production
00:38 - 00:44 - Roy Scheider
Robert Shaw
Richard Dreyfuss
00:49 - 00:53 - 'Jaws'
00:55 - 00:58 - Co-starring Lorraine Gray
00:59 - 01:05 - Murray Hamilton
Carl Gottlieb
Jeffrey C. Kramer
Susan Backlinie
01:05 - 01:08 - Music by John Williams
01:11 - 01:13 - Film Editor Verna Fields
01:25 - 01:29 - Director of Photography Bill Butler
01:31 - 01:36 - Screenplay by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb
Based upon the novel by Peter Benchley
01:38 - 01:42 - Produced by Robert D. Zanuck and David Brown
01:46 - 01:50 - Directed by Steven Spielberg
No comments:
Post a Comment