7/30/2019 Analysis of Jaws Opening Sequence

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Dorcas Viela 6P

Analysis of Jaws opening sequence

This is a screen shot of the opening sequence in Jaws .The screen shot below

shows the title Jaws and the writing of the title is in white which makes it stand

out so that the audience know they title of the film they are watching. The

background is underwater its shows the audience it is a thriller film becausenobody knows what is under the deep blue sea and it is a mysterious place to be

and the fact they have started the film with the camera under the sea makes

the audience to start to think what is under the sea

The opening of Jaws is linear and chronological, the events in order one after

another in the order. The scene has a beginning, middle and end. The beginning

and ending of the opening are brought back to equilibrium; everything is calm

and peaceful.

Jaws features a lot of stereotypical thriller conventions: this being the tension

filled music, the female character being the victim, having the other character

that could possibly save her being unaware that anything is wrong. The girl,

thinking she is safe when she swims to the buoy but is in fact going to be eaten!

Enigma codes feature strongly is this scene, this is from the sharks perspective

closing in on the film, automatically ask, 'what is watching the girl?', 'Is it

dangerous?' Also never seeing what is attacking her is an example of partial

visions this fear of the unknown a typical convention of a thriller.

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

indication 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.

7/30/2019 Analysis of Jaws Opening Sequence

2/2

Dorcas Viela 6P

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 and

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.

Continuity editing is used throughout to help with the flowing of one scene to

another. Match shots and shot reverse shot are used between the girl and the

boy to show the sexual attraction between the two. Cross-cutting is used during

the attack scene when it cuts back to the boy laying peacefully on the sand. This

gives the audience a slight glimpse of hope that the boy might actually rescuethe girl. Also, at the very end of the sequence two shots are dissolved into one.

An early night shot is dissolved to a late shot to show the passing of time.

Graphics: The title is in block capital for emphasis. They credits are on screen as

the film is playing and are centred in the middle of the screen.