Analysis of the film Jaws

The beginning of the film Jaws starts of with the first attack. This scares the viewer from the very start and excites them, wanting to know what happens next and who else will be victims. The first victim, a girl, is attacked at night, so this would mean it would have been dark. This is done for two reasons, one the dark is scary to everyone as no one can see what is coming for them, or what it out there, and that links into the second reason, so we don’t see the shark, leaving a sense of mystery. The camera shot changes from being at eye level with the girl to the point of view of the shark. Being at eye level with the girl makes the person watching feel as if they are in the film itself, and can make the person feel more fear as they also know that there is something fast approaching because the shot keeps changing to the point of view of the shark, looking up at the girl swimming. When the shark attacks the girl it keeps the shot at eye level with the girl making the viewer feel as if it could be them. Then the girl is dragged under the water right in front of the camera, making it feel as if it is close to the viewer but also confirming that the girl defiantly has gone under the water. Then in the next part of the movie where they find the body one the beach, the viewer is the last to see the body. This holds suspense and makes the viewer want to see it more as they see everyone else see the body of the girl and reel back in horror, but also makes them not want to see it, as they can see it will be gruesome. When the report is being filled out for the death there is a close up shot of ‘shark attack’ being typed, this is the first time there is some confirmation that it was a shark that killed the girl, and also it makes the viewer look out for a shark in all the other scenes to come.

The next important scene is where Brody (the police officer) is being confronted by the mayor on a little ferry thing that takes cars across a bit of lake. For the whole