Spielberg uses many techniques to create fear and tension in the opening scene, he uses these techniques to scare the audience and keep them hooked on the action. The first technique is to open with a shot from the shark’s point of view this creates the element of danger and mystery of when the shark is going to strike and who is going to be the victim. Spielberg is therefore creating the feeling that you know what is going to happen, you just don’t know how. Secondly Spielberg uses symbolism to subtly give hints to the audience about who the next victim is. Thirdly Spielberg uses music provided by John Williams to create tension and finally Spielberg uses camera angles to create focus on the victims and to create yet more tension.
Spielberg uses a lot of symbolism; the first bit is that Krissi is separated from the rest of the group as she is sitting outside of the circle by the fire, the circle symbolises unity and safety from the water as the circle is just feet away from the water, being separated from this unity is a way of knowing that Krissi is away from the warmth and safety of the fire, which symbolises life and death. Secondly when Krissi is running towards the water which is separated by a fence, which symbolises danger as fencing something off is generally to forbid entry due to either secrecy or possible danger and finally when Krissi is in danger in the water she swims to a buoy, which is a symbol of calling for help and safety the buoy helps her to get her breath back and the bell on the buoy rings, but to no avail. The buoy is also a symbol of relief for Krissi as she finally has a chance to be safe and recover but Jaws still has access to her legs and she is, unsurprisingly killed.
Music plays a large factor in Jaws and scene 1 is no exception, the iconic theme tune has become a regular representative sound of fear and suspense. The music has great effect because the repetition and gradual build up adds to the tension and build up. The same piece of music is repeated every time Jaws attacks throughout the film and doesn’t only represent fear but it represents the shark. The theme tune’s composer John Williams went on to win an Oscar. The use of ambient noise such as cars passing by in the background is very prominent in the film as it creates a huge amount of suspense and shock factor. In scene one Krissi is in the water and all you can hear is the bustling of the wind, seagulls chirping and the brief ring of the bell in the water, these normal and everyday sounds add to the tension which at the time was revolutionary.
Camera angles are used very well in Jaws and are one of the reasons that Jaws was such a big success. Zoom was a major camera angle in the film. Whenever a character died there would be a close up on him/her. In the first scene there was a close up on Krissi after there was a pan-shot of the group. The other main shot are point of view shots. The first point of view shot is at the start of the movie when there is a shot of some seaweed in the sea, this is obviously from the point of view of Jaws. The second shot is from the view of Eugene (Krissi’s love interest) looking towards Krissi, which evidently gives the impression of romance between the pair. Pan shots are the third type of major shot in the first scene as it is used in more than just the campfire part. It is also used when Krissi swims out into the water, you can see the sunset, a buoy and the silhouette of Krissi before you see her suddenly drop to the water. This pan shot creates the brief illusion that everything is normal in a beautiful seaside town, but things soon turn ugly.
So, to summarise, the techniques used in the first scene of Jaws include symbolism, music, ambient noise and camera angles. This is what made Jaws a revolutionary film that transformed the genre of horror into what it is today. When you watch the film you don’t really think it’s that special but when you compare it to other films of a similar genre at the time, it was something special.
