Jaws Opening Sequence Analysis

Sound:

The film opens straight away with the famous sound motif of Jaws which is used to indicate the presence of the shark throughout the film; by using this straight away the audience are alarmed. This crescendo sound is iconic to Jaws and instantly makes the audience feel on edge as the sound builds in intensity. As the motif hits its peak of intensity, the sound cuts away and switches rapidly to the sound of a harmonica instead. The contrast between the two is very clear and the harmonica sounds incredibly soft and relaxing in comparison to the previous crescendo. Initially, this change of sound is relieving to the audience as it instantly gets rid of the danger, and allows you to relax from being on edge before. However, by the harmonica sound almost being too relaxed, it reminds us that the danger has not yet passed and is merely waiting to strike. This therefore makes us feel worried and anxious, not only for what is inevitably going to happen but because the teenagers in the scene are very relaxed and unaware of the nearby danger – drinking and smoking. The murmur of chatter in the scene also reinforces the teenager’s obliviousness to the danger of the beach they are at. By placing sounds of laughter in the scene, it almost sickens us that as an audience we know the fate of the night for these teenagers yet we can do nothing but wait for the mood to twist unexpectedly.

The use of silence when Chrissie begins to swim in the water makes it an unnerving moment for the audience, as we are left to hear our own thoughts, fully well knowing she is swimming amongst a killer. A melodic tune begins to play as Chrissie waits for the boy to join her in the water, however it has a slight edge to it which leads us to believe it will soon turn into the motif that signals the presence of a shark. As the motif slowly begins to fade into hearing, the sharp burst of the motif combines with the shot of Chrissie being pulled from something underneath her. This short but intense sound alerts the audience and confirms their fear is a reality. As Chrissie goes under attack of the shark, the motif is layered with screams which adds to the fear the audience are already feeling.

Cinematography:

The opening titles begin with the camera lurking under the water in a POV shot as though the audience is the shark. This creates a sense of the danger and unknown lying beneath the surface, although we can see it, the characters in the film have no idea. The bottom of the sea to some is already quite a scary thing to think about, so to be put in that position themselves, and not know what to expect to see down there also adds to the suspense the opening scene creates. Soon after, this changes to a long pan shot across all the characters sat around at the beach. The fact that we have just been in the position of the shark and are now viewing the characters in such a way, almost gives off a sinister feel as if we as the audience are a predator picking its prey. Throughout the time Chrissie is swimming in the water, we switch views between long shots, view from above and a view from below. All

add to the fear of the audience. The long shot reinforces how empty the space is and that no one is in saving distance of Chrissie should she find herself in danger. The shot from below puts us back in the position of the shark, and the audience is put on edge as you move closer towards Chrissie’s legs knowing she is about to be attacked. Finally, the shot from above shows an oblivious looking Chrissie, blissfully unaware of her fate. However as an audience we know what is directly underneath and are anxiously waiting for the shark to strike. On a few occasions, the camera cuts back to the male character lying on the beach. This shot connotes calmness and peacefulness as he lies in silence with the waves gently brushing his feet, which greatly contrasts with the horror happening right before him.

Mise-en-scene:

When the characters are first introduced to the film, they are shown to be smoking and drinking on the beach. This straight away communicates to the audience that they are set up to be victims due to having such a carefree nature and in this genre of film; teenagers typically are conveyed as victims. The clothes the characters are wearing show us they are teenagers from a previous era, specifically the 1970s due to the style e.g. bucket hats. After showing all the teenagers, Chrissie is shown by herself and this is then highlighted when the camera zooms out to show her isolation from the rest of the group. This makes her stand out from the rest of the characters and we are instantly intrigued by her, however we fear that this shows perhaps a stronger sense of carelessness within her which could lead her into danger.

When Chrissie runs off and eventually reaches the beach, it is surprising for the setting to be quite a calm and peaceful environment. The moon is glistening on the waves and the only noise is the characters footsteps on the sand and the waves coming onto the beach. This lack of noise makes the audience aware of how alone the two characters are and they are now separate from where the rest of the teenagers were positioned. However, this setting of a peaceful and calm beach gives us the opposite feeling of how it would if placed in another genre of film. As the audience, we know that the calm waters actually contain danger and this puts us on edge because to Chrissie the water must look safer than ever. During Chrissies attack, the placement of the buoy gives us a moment of hopefulness as she grabs onto it and seems to calm down for a moment, or at least is no longer being attacked. For a split second the buoy is a symbol of hope for both the audience and Chrissie, however seconds later she is yanked from underneath again and the hope has been destroyed.