One of the greatest films ever made, Jaws, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and to commemorate the occasion, it returns to theaters this weekend. And not just regular theaters. Jaws is being re-released in 3D, IMAX, and even 4DX. Yes, you can ride along in your theater seat and feel the watery mist alongside Brody, Hooper, and Quint as the Orca sets sail.
You can find showtimes and buy tickets for all of those at this link. But, to get even more excited about seeing the Steven Spielberg classic back on the big screen, we decided to rank the 10 best moments in the film. When you look at this list, you realize that’s not an easy task. Seemingly every shot in Jaws is awesome in its own way and limiting this list to 10 leaves off some major, major moments. Are these the 10 you’d pick? Did we miss your favorite? Read on and find out.
10. “A what?”
Part of the magic of Jaws is that for many of the supporting roles, Steven Spielberg cast actual people who lived on Martha’s Vineyard, where it was being filmed. It gives the film a real, authentic quality but few characters stand out more than the guy who reacts in the most perfect manner ever when Hooper tells him the shark caught early on is a tiger shark. “A what?” he says in a perfect New England drawl. It’s one of those moments that might pass you by on a first or second viewing. But by your 100th viewing, it’s absolute, hilarious perfection. Jaws is filled with those moments, so we decided to pick this one to represent them all.
9. The cage
When Brody and Hooper arrive on Quint’s boat, there’s a brief exchange about the cage that Hooper is bringing. Then, a ton of things happen, and you almost forget about it. And yet, that information lingers, making the moment Hooper actually goes into the cage that much more terrifying. That he not only encounters the shark but gets kind of really messed up by it, then takes it up a few notches.
8. “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
Throughout Jaws, the film reaches various points of escalation. Scenes or lines where the characters learn, often in violent fashion, that things are much worse than they had originally thought. The most famous and fun one of these is when Sheriff Brody is off-handedly throwing chum into the water and is greeted by a shark much, much bigger than he’d imagined in his head. His resulting message to Quint has become the film’s most quoted line, and hearing it, you can’t help but smile.
7. The Orca‘s journey begins
Jaws is almost two movies. There’s the first half where everything is set up, and then the second half on board the boat. Each is amazing in its own right, and the transition between them is incredibly special. As the Orca leaves the dock to head out to sea, the camera films it from Quint’s shack and through a set of shark jaws. It’s Spielberg’s way of setting up everything to come. They are going into the belly of the beast, and it may not go well. (Oh, and the rising, adventurous John Williams score doesn’t hurt either.)
6. Dining room mimicry
A crucial throughline in Jaws is that Sheriff Brody is scared of the water. So what makes him face that fear and head out on the Orca? Well, we know because of this small, beautiful little scene, as his youngest son, Sean, just randomly starts mimicking his father. Brody plays along, and we see exactly why he’d risk everything, without anyone saying a word.
5. The slap
One of the many things that makes Jaws so good is just how much is going on. Case in point, before you even get to all the cool shark stuff, we are forced to wrestle with seeing our main character, Sheriff Brody, bow to political pressures and open up beaches he knows he shouldn’t have. This, of course, doesn’t go well, and when the late Alex Kintner’s mom slaps him in disgust, you can feel her pain and his regret in every single frame.
4. “Smile, you son of a…”
Here’s how good Jaws is. We’re ranking the film’s biggest, most exciting, rousing moment fourth on this list. There’s no denying that Brody’s realization of how he can kill the shark, the editing of it, and the tension all come together to give us the perfect ending to such an exciting adventure. And yet, as unforgettable as this moment is, we think there are a few that are better.
3. Quint’s introduction
Clearly, Jaws is filled with iconic moments featuring everyone’s favorite shark hunter. But the second best (spoiler alert) is his introduction. Nails on the chalkboard. A room goes silent. The gruff confidence exudes as he just plainly explains how he’ll fix the shark problem for a price. You instantly understand this guy and want to know more about him. An all-time introduction for a character.
2. The split diopter shot
Arguably, Jaws‘ most famous shot is the Alfred Hitchcock-inspired moment where Sheriff Brody realizes opening the beaches was a terrible mistake. To convey it, Spielberg hits us with the split diopter, drawing the center of his image closer and pushing the background further away. It perfectly conveys the dread of the realization that someone is about to die and that Brody is partially at fault.
1. The Indianapolis Speech
Come on. Could it be anything but this? That harrowing revelation of where Quint’s intense hatred of sharks came from is packed with terror, sadness, and despair. Shaw gives an amazing performance, and we, like Hooper and Brody, can’t take our eyes off it. That it comes on the heels of the joyous scar comparison makes it even more powerful and unforgettable.
So, what did we miss? Is it the opening kill? All the scenes with the mayor? Hooper’s faces? The eyeball? Let us know below but please, be kind. Amity, as you know, means friendship.
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