Jaws submission

This opening scene is pivotal to the rest of the film because it already sets the stage for the theme of horrific deaths by sharks. The frantic movement of the kids and the thundering suspense of the music conveys this sense of carnage  and trepidation so that the audience might pee their pants in fright.  

The opening scene of Jaws features a lot of stereotypical thriller conventions: the tension filled music, the female character being the victim, having the other character – who could possibly save her- being unaware that anything is wrong. The girl, thinking she is safe when she swims to the buoy but is infact going to be eaten!


In the opening to the film the majority of the scene is shot from the sharks perspective giving the audience the idea that she is not safe and also gives some indictation in which direction the danger is coming from, this creates even more tension as the attack seems inevitable. The editing of the sequence when the two teenagers are running to the sea and when the girl is being attacked is shown in quick fast paced, frantic cuts of shots from different angles. In contrast to the calm, static, lingering shots of the boy who has fallen asleep on the beach. The opening sequence is set at night time/early morning. The scene starts off with a bunch of young students having a beach party, as you can imagine this usually includes. All of these small little things dealing with the motion of the characters add to the horror theme of the movie.


The beginning starts quietly, then the middle part where the tension becomes gradually louder and louder until the climactic ending becomes silent again. The silence at the end is a good representation of death. The screaming ans splashing about when the attack is happening is a great contrast to the boy lying peacefully on the sand near her. You kind of expect the boy to hear her struggle and the audience get a glimpse of hope that the boy will come and rescue the girl, but when that doesn't happen, the shark successfully kills the girl and the scene becomes silent once more.