Name: ____________________________________ Date: _________________ Period:______ Film Study 2 – Ms. Jones JAWS: Study Guide 1. The opening scene is one of the most shocking scenes in cinema history. Evaluate the cinematic techniques that Spielberg employs to both prepare and shock us. Sound/Music Color Cinematography Editing 2. Police Chief Martin Brody is portrayed differently from some of the other authority figures we have seen in other movies this year. What differentiates this police officer from others we have seen? 3. Besides the shark, who is the antagonist? Why is this person an obstacle to the protagonist? 4. What fear does Chief Brody have to conquer in order to solve his central conflict? 5. Quint and Hooper compare scars to size up their masculinity. In doing so, they bond together. What about this act defines what it means to be a man to these men? 6. Quint’s recounting of the U.S.S. Indianapolis is true. Research it online. When you hear Quint recount this story, does your opinion of him change? Why or why not? Is he still a stereotypical fisherman, a revenge- seeking lunatic, or someone else? Explain. 7. Why does Quint break the radio, preventing them from being able to communicate with anyone? 8. Certainly, the central conflict of Jaws is man vs. nature. Explain how man vs. self and man vs. man are evident in this movie, too. Man vs. Nature Man vs. Self Man vs. Man Discussion Questions 1. One of the themes of Jaws is “Materialistic consumption (i.e. money) shouldn’t drive one’s life.” Explain how the people of Amity Island forget that money isn’t everything. 2. How is Quint a stereotype of a fisherman? What characteristics does he possess that showcase this stereotype? 3. Jaws’ musical score, written by John Williams, is one of the most famous scores of cinema history. How does Horner adjust the pitch, volume, and tempo of the score to the suspense of the film? 4. Jaws is the first film we’ve seen that can be considered a “creature feature.” Creature features are movies that feature monsters or aliens that terrorize a group of people. Typically, monsters are a manifestation of our inner fears. What fears does Jaws manifest? Why? 5. Roughly, Spielberg shot twenty-five percent of the film from water level to provide the viewers the perspective as if they were treading water. What is the effect of these shots on you? Are there other shots that Spielberg employs that heighten the suspense? Genre Study Jaws is a film in the genre of horror thriller. Look at the definitions of both genres by themselves and then the hybrid definition of both genres, which is provided by Wikipedia. Horror films are movies that strive to elicit responses of fear, horror and terror from viewers. Their plots frequently involve themes of the supernatural. Horror movies also usually include a central villain. Thrillers are characterized by fast pacing, frequent action, and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more-powerful and better-equipped villains. Literary devices such as suspense, red herrings and cliffhangers are used extensively. In horror thrillers, conflict between the main characters is mental, emotional, and physical. What sets the horror thriller apart is the main element of fear throughout the story. The main character(s) is not only up against a superior force, but they are or will soon become the victims themselves and directly feel the fear that comes by attracting the monster's attention. Other well-known examples are Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, Thomas Harris' The Silence of the Lambs, Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later, or any of the Saw films. Horror thrillers have been criticized for graphic violence and dismissed as low budget B-movies and exploitation films. Is Jaws such a film? Make an argument criticizing or defending Jaws. .