Media Coursework Essay
Analyse the ways that the director builds suspense and scares the audience in the film JAWS.
The film I will be analysing is called Jaws which is a 1975 thriller and horror film directed by Steven Spielberg. It was based on a novel by Peter Benchley entitled Jaws. The film is about a police chief who tries to protect the people on Amity Island, a small holiday resort, from a giant great white shark by closing the beach. While trying to close the beach chief Brody was overruled by the town council and mayor who wanted the beach to stay open to get money from tourists in the summer season. After about three more attacks, the police chief asks for the help of a marine biologist and a professional shark hunter to try and kill the shark. The film is set in the middle of the summer season of July in 1975 on Amity Island which is a fictional island. It was set on the 4th of July because it is the day that the USA made the Declaration of Independence; it also attracts people to the beaches of America. It is summer, it’s hot, and lots of people want to cool off by going to the beach during the holiday. In this essay I will be looking at how the director builds suspense and scares the audience in the film Jaws.
One of the many ways Spielberg helps build suspense is through the music. The music from the opening sequence sounds scary because of the repetition of the sounds as they get louder and faster. This strikes fear into the audience and makes you think about the dangerous animals in the ocean. The shark is connected to the music in the title sequence. We know this because the music is playing while in a 1st person view the unknown is moving through the deep blue sea. The 1st person view would be the view of the shark, in other words what the shark sees or is looking at. We see through the shark’s eyes the deep ocean and it looks as if he was hunting or preying for food. We also know the music in the film and the great white shark is connected because we hear the same sound when the shark is near or about to attack. We also sometimes hear a bell before and after an attack. Bells and buoys are usually used to tell fishing boats that they are too close to the shore and shallow water this shows that the shark is hunting and feeding in shallow water. It also shows, in this film, the shark’s presence because if you had not noticed, the shark brushes past the buoys before and after an attack.
The Essay on Violence In Film And Music
Since film was introduced in 1923 as a means of entertainment, violence has played an increasing role as a way of enthralling the masses. However, it is only in recent films such as The Gangs of New York (2003) and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) which have displayed gratuitous amounts of violence, the latter highlighting a real disparity with its certificate. Films such as The ...
Silence is also used to add suspense or tension by the numbing of the background when a person is about to be attacked. By numbing the back ground I mean taking out all background music and just leaving the sounds of the actors or the props in a scene. This builds a lot of tension because the viewer is anticipating the strike of the shark and waiting for the shark to attack but does not know when or who.
In the second attack the camera pans up and down the beach. First it pans to a lady walking in the waters edge of the beach, then follows a boy back up the beach to his mother. Instead of going straight back into the sea the boy collects a yellow floating bed called an air mat lilo bed and then runs back into the water. As he runs in we see a man in a yellow T-shirt throwing a stick for his dog. Then it flashes back to the chief and his wife where his wife tells him he is too tense. This is effective because it shows that he is also anticipating an attack and this makes the audience feel the same way and makes the film feel more life-like somewhat.
The camera uses a jump cut technique to take close shots of children playing in the water either one by one or many at a time to make it look as if they could be the next victims.
The Term Paper on Point Of View Shark Lot Brody
... believe that it is not a shark attacking the victims. In the first two attacks (especially the first one), the ... sure that the boy is going to be attacked by the shark, as you can see the boy's legs kicking, from ... very playful dog. A woman is wearing a yellow hat as well, and this is the colour ... the beach is closed for is something really dangerous. The next device is the shark book that Brody is ...
As we look around the beach we see yellow umbrellas, bathing suits, towels and lilos. This is significant because yellow is associated with cowards and fear.
When the camera films the shoreline, we see chief Brody’s little boy playing in the sand but in the background we see the man in the yellow T-shirt calling for his dog and the dog is nowhere to be found. The camera focuses on the stick that the dog was fetching floating on the surface of the water, this is something called mis-en-scene. Mis-en-scene is everything that appears before the camera and how it is arranged. Things like the composition, set, props, actors, costumes, lighting, and also the positioning and movement of the actors on the set. At this point in the film there is no music and the audience doesn’t know whether the shark has attacked again or the do has run off somewhere.
We also see point of view shots. For example when chief Brody is looking around the beach; we see it from his point of view. This has effect on building tension because the way he is looking around the beach it is like he is just waiting for something to happen, he knows something is going to happen or he wants to be on the ready for if something happens. When we get a close up of Brody we see an empty lifeguards chair in the background. Spielberg uses this to build tension in the audience by showing them that if the shark strikes again there may not be anyone there to help them. We also see one from the shark’s point of view. It is like the audience is the shark looking up from the seabed, going past all of the potential child victims, then at the boy on the yellow lilo. This builds tension and suspense because it makes the audience wonder who the shark is going to eat or kill next. They are on the edge of their seat most likely anticipating what will happen next. Meanwhile the shark is looking for its next victim the background music is dim, but as the shark starts to narrow out on its next victim the music starts to get louder and faster. While we are still in the shark’s point of view the shark attacks the little boy on the lilo. After chief Brody is looking around the beach he sees the attack. This technique called a reverse zoom shot. It is used to emphasize the fact that chief Brody’s shark theory is correct. The alarm is then raised and everyone evacuates the water. Then parents then start searching for their children. As the boy’s mother tries to find him the boy’s bloodstained lilo washes up on shore.
The Term Paper on Shark Attacks Great White
The serious attacks are mainly by four species. The Bull shark. the Tiger, the Great White and the Oceanic White tip shark. The Grey Nurse (Sand Tiger) and the Bronze Whaler have for many years been blamed for many attacks but it seems nearly all were mistaken identity. The Grey Nurse is now protected in most States in Australia. The Great White is the largest and has a high percentage of fatal ...
After this attack in the film, the audience feels sorry for chief Brody because we hear a conversation saying ‘If you weren’t born on the island you will never be a true islander.’ This implies that Brody and his family are outsiders. This builds tension because they are picking on him when he has done nothing wrong. He was the one who brought the presence of the shark to their attention, but, because of their they have ingored it and now they want to blame the crisis on him. This makes the audience feel sorry for Brody and angry at the people. Also if news gets out that it was a shark attack that killed the young girl, Brody would be blamed for not closing the beach, although the major harassed him to keep it open. This builds tension because the audience knows that Brody is right in wanting to close the beaches, however they are aware that as the shark is in the area there will be more attacks and there will be more problems arising between Brody, the major and the associated business people. Again this makes the audience have sympathy for Brody and hatred towards the major and associated business men.
The first two attacks are close together and frenzied, for instance how a shark would attack its prey. The fact that they are so close together makes the audience think there is many more attacks to come. Most of the time in horror films the directors space out their murders, attacks and deaths to give the audience a chance to recover from the previous attack so they are more scared the next time around. Spielberg chose to put these two events so close together to trick the audience into thinking that there will be more attacks coming up very soon and to their surprise the next attack is quite far of into the film. During this wait every time they see the beach or sea they are anticipating another attack when there actually will not be another on for now, but when they are settled the next attack will happen and this makes them more scared.
The Essay on Shark Cull SAC
Shark culling has become the new issue for the Australian media. Over the past three years, after seven fatal shark attacks in Western Australia’s waters, Premier Colin Barnett, declared to kill any shark bigger than three meters spotted in the designated kill zones. This culling has killed many sharks and is going to result to the extinction of these species. Miranda Devine published an opinion ...
The third attack is set on the 4th of July because it is a national American holiday and families go away to beaches to celebrate America’s Independence Day. In this attack, Brody’s son was involved. We feel an attachment to him because he is the star of the film’s son. Adults in the audience would feel sympathetic towards the parents because they might have children of their own and this builds tension because being parents themselves and seeing what is happening with the shark attacks so far, they are aware that it is going to happen again and again until the shark is killed or moves out of the area. The audience can then see themselves in Brody’s shoes and is aware that there will be another attack. At the end of the film the three men go out to see if they can find the shark and kill it. These are just some of the most tense and frightening scenes.
The music in Jaws can create a lot of tension. For example when the head of the man came out of the hole in the boat; it makes the audience physically jump because of the music. When Hooper first started swimming to the boat and searching, the music is very mysterious but then when Hooper gets very close to the boat and the man’s head falls out of the hole in the boat, the music reaches its climax very quickly and shocks both Hooper and the audience. The music also gets louder and faster when something approaches or when someone gets scared which builds suspense and scares the audience. The music is like a signature tune that represents the shark, this is how Spielberg helps train the audience to start contemplating on whether there will be an attack or not. They would also be looking forward to an attack so this sometimes may make them kind of excited to see what will happen next. We get used to the music representing the shark, therefore as soon as we hear it, we expect the shark to attack, or we know that the shark is lurking around closely.
Spielberg also creates tension when they catch the wrong shark. With chaos erupting all around, Hooper asks to see the first victim. In studying the first victim, Hooper discovers she definitely did not have a boating accident and that it was a shark larger than any he has seen before. At the docks someone does manage to reel in a tiger shark big enough to pass as a great white. While everyone is celebrating, Hooper is the one who finds out the wrong shark has been caught. He says that while that species has attacked humans and is foreign to the waters, the bite radius doesn’t match up to the first victim. Hooper is an outsider so no one wants to listen. This builds tension because he is an independent advisor that was brought in to deal specifically with these attacks. His report is accurate but the business people and major do not want to believe him because it would mean that they would loose all the publicity and have to close the beaches. The audience are aware that he is correct and they start getting frustrated with the authorities because they are not listening to the advice that they asked for.
The Essay on How does Priestly show tension is at the heart of the Birling family?
Tension is an element that has been intricately woven at the heart of the Birling family. The Birling’s are a family of two generations; the older assertive and callous generation and the younger ambitious generation with not yet fully sculpted minds. The lack of understanding and empathy for the younger generation (Eric and Shelia) feeds the tension at heart:- ‘Because you’re not the kind of ...
To prove his point, Hooper and Brody sneak down to the docks to cut open the shark. Inside the shark was a large solid metal license number plate and other things but no human remains. If a smaller shark can rip off a solid metal plate, then an even bigger shark could sink a boat!
We also can tell the shark is very big because Brody’s son goes in to shock after seeing the shark. Also because we have not seen the shark we also fear the known.
Spielberg also creates fear and tension when Hooper, Quin and Brody are on the boat drinking and swapping shark stories. They start singing, which prohibits them from hearing when the shark starts smashing in to the bottom of the boat. The audience knows the shark is smashing the bottom of the boat because we see the barrel floating on the top of the water telling us that the shark is going towards the boat. Then we see the bottom of the boat side breaking that is how we know the shark is smashing the bottom of the boat.
The contrast between film horror and real horror is also explored in this film. Quin was on the ship that delivered the Hiroshima bomb to Japan, he describes how the ship sank and as it was a secret operation nobody could help them. He had to watch as sharks ate his shipmates. This could be the reason why Quin feels that he should kill the shark, like a personal vendetta or revenge. This builds tension because we know now that he has got to face this shark. He feels guilty because all of his friends had died from the shark attack and he couldnt do nothing so now he has to face his fears and kill this shark to prove to himself he can do it.
The Term Paper on How Are Audiences Positioned In Submarine And Let The Right One In?
As one of the most popular art forms in the world today, films are a medium that draw in audiences of millions around the globe, year in, year out. From big name blockbusters from Warner Brothers and Paramount to low key cult phenomenons, films have always found their audiences whatever the fashion, and producers are well aware of the potential viewers for their films – generally keeping ...
Fear is also expressed through the character’s reactions. When Brody is throwing slurry (fish guts and blood) over the side of the boat, the shark rises out of the water. Brody is the only one to see the shark but he tells Quin ‘were gonna need a bigger boat’. This implies that the shark is very big and has an advantage over them. We can also tell that the shark is abnormally large because he takes three barrels under water; most sharks would only have taken down one or two at the most.
The first time we see the whole shark is when it tries to sink the boat. Brody tries to call for help on the radio but Quin smashes all the communication lines because the fight between him and the shark is personal. This builds tension beacause Brody was only trying to get help but Quin ruined the radio so the audience is in fear now of what will happen to them without the help of the people on shore or without any communication with them. This puts the audience on edge to see what will happen next. Quin also personifies the shark by calling it a ‘he’ and makes him sound smart as it looks like the shark is leading them out to sea. When chief Brody goes out to sea with Quin and Hooper the camera films the boat sailing out to sea through the massive jaw bones of a shark in Quins warehouse. This represents the three men going in to the heart of the shark’s territory.
Spielberg uses false alerts to build up tension in the film and keep the audience on the edge of their seat. For instance on the 4th of July when the young lady screamed shark and everyone evacuated the ocean and all of the lifeguards and the coastguards showed up around the shark they found out it use just two little boys in the ocean playing a practical joke. He uses this to build up peoples expectations of another attack and then it turns almost into farce. It’s almost like a joke because then
you realise it’s not really a shark it’s just two little boys so in a way it is relief. It was used as a shock tactic for the real shark attack on Brody’s son.
In the scene of the second attack Brody was on the beach looking out to see. He was very uptight and anticipating another attack or perhaps even a glimpse of the shark. When he heard the girl screaming he got very tense and ready for action, but as he saw that the girl was only playing he began to relax again. Spielberg uses this to shake up the audience a little and make them think about and anticipate when the shark will attack next.
Another instance where the film director builds up tension is when the fisherman who was
attempting to catch the shark using a chain to catch the shark. The shark takes the bait and pulls part of the jetty and one of the fishermen out to sea. The shark was obviously there but not seen. We then see the broken jetty circling and corning back towards the fisherman meaning the shark was chasing him. We hear the usual refrain just before an attack get louder and faster as the shark is getting closer. The tension builds up as we see the fishermen trying to get to the dock and get out of the sea as the unseen shark closes in on him. He just climbs up onto the remaining jetty just in time. This then eases the tension for the audience and a feeling of relieve comes upon them. All of these false alerts make the audience all fired up and then suddenly break the tension that they build up anticipating when the next victim will die.
Spielberg has used many methods to build tension in the film. The most dramatic one for me was at the end from when Hopper gets attacked in the metal cage up until when Brody kills the shark. There is a lot of tension and questions that we were asking like who will be killed Brody or the shark? What happened to Hooper? Again the music shows this tension by dramatically gaining speed. We also see the significance of the air canisters as Hooper shouted at him when he knocked them over because they could explode. Brody throws two large air canisters in to the shark’s jaws and fires a gun at them. The shark explodes into tiny pieces. Hooper returns to the surface, the water is filled with blood. It is a relief to the audience that both Brody and Hooper are alive at the end.
In conclusion, Speilberg builds suspense and scares the audience in many different ways. Spielberg uses things like music, different props, camera views and techniques, the arrangement of sequences, false alerts and shock tactics. I think Spielberg used film devices to entertain his audience and to build suspense throughout the film well. He used his imagination and good use of film techniques to keep the audience on their toes and create a very intriguing and brilliant film.
