Another example of where music is used to build tension is when the man falls into the sea, after the jetty he was standing on, gets pulled out to sea by the shark. As he is swimming back to safety the music starts. As the music gets quicker and louder the man swims frantically for his life. The audience also feel frantic. This use music is so effective that we never see the shark we only hear the music. Silence can also be used to create suspense. This can be seen when Hooper goes into the shark cage in an attempt to kill the predator. The audience know something is coming but are led to think it is a false alarm because there is no music. When the sharks gaping mouth confronts us, the director catches us off guard and this scares the audience more than usual.
It is not just music that Spielberg toyed with to create suspense in the film. He also used camera angles to create tension. In the opening shot of the second attack, all the shots of Brody looking at the water are point of view shots from Brody. This lets audience know that Brody is very anxious and is alert for any sign of a threat. The audience then emphasises with Brody because of what he is going through.
Close-ups are used in the film to show a characters reaction to something or to show a possible victim of the shark. A good example of this is when the dog is seen with his stick and when we see the boy on the lilo. This shows us the victims of the shark and makes the audience aware of what to expect. As the dog runs into the water the camera follows it. This is known as a tracking shot. Later when the dog has been eaten by the shark a close up is used to see the owner calling for it and another close up is used to see the stick, isolated in the water. This makes the audience aware that the dog has gone and that the boy should get out too.
Long shots are used to show a wider picture or to get more information about scenery. A good example of a long shot is through a point of view shot from Brody. The camera pulls out to show a black object swimming towards a lady. We see the object, the lady and a lot of scenery. This builds up suspense because the viewers are led to believe the object is a shark but it is a man with a black swimming cap. The long shot also shows how far away from the water Brody is. If an attack were to happen he would not be able to assist.
The director also places obstacles in front of the camera to create tension and suspense in the film. An example of this is when the director places a man in front of the camera at one point to hinder our view. The character and the audience try emphatically to look over the mans shoulder. This creates frustration in Brody and the audience.
All of the previous shots were used to build up the possibility of a possible attack. It is only when we see the legs of the children from the shark’s point of view that we know an attack is going to happen. When we see the attack in the distance through Brody’s eyes we feel shock due to the gruesome sight of spurting blood. When Brody realises what happens the camera does a tracking zoom. This angle makes the background look like it is approaching us and that the foreground is retreating. It creates a vision that looks like the character is coming from a different world and re-emerging into this one or coming back to life.
The public start to panic when they see the water around them has turned red. They start to run out of the water with great urgency. To achieve this affect, the director used ten jump cuts. These jump cuts show how confusing it would have been to be in the water with the people. How disoriented you become. The last shot of the scene contrasts from all of the other scenes because of its calm and quiet content. The mangled yellow lilo the boy was swimming on calmly gets washed up on the beach and is followed by an eerie silence and the gentle waves lapping on the beach.
One of the mediums the director uses to create fear and suspense is the shark. The shark is always escorted by the theme tune. Whenever we hear the music we know the shark is nearby or close. When the tempo and volume of the music increase it usually means that he is getting closer to his victim. When the shark attacks it creates massive damage and the director conveys this cleverly by not showing us a full body but just small remnants that were left. An example of this is the first attack. When the victim is found on the beach the only thing not devoured by the shark is a half arm. The audience reacts to this in disbelief.
The characters also show great fear towards the shark and the director uses lots of close ups, on the actors, when the shark is in the vicinity. The characters also react in a terrified manner. They become nervous and intimidated and their eyes become wider as expression of their fear. An example of this is when Hooper is in the shark cage and the shark comes to attack him.
The film is a very suspense filled film from the beginning. In the first thirty minutes there is two killings. This makes the audience think if there can be two killings in the first half hour of the film then what is going to happen in the remaining 70 minutes? There seems to be a sense of urgency in the attacks. The third attack becomes very personal for Brody after the shark attacks the yacht his son is on. It seems that the shark is threatening Brody’s family. The audience then emphasises with Brody. We do this because we know the worry he is going through must be terrible.
When we see Brody hanging onto the mast of the sinking fishing vessel we gasp in horror. The possibility of the shark eating the main character is too much for the viewers to bear. Brody then shoots the air tank in the shark’s mouth and the shark blows up like a bomb. The audience now relax because they know that finally the mission is over.
In my view the scariest scene is when Hooper goes into the water to investigate a dilapidated boat. The audience know it is a bad idea to go into the shark’s territory and want to scream out to warn the character. When Hooper enters the water the audience is on total alert and scan every inch of the screen, like air traffic controllers looking for a lost plane, for a possible threat. As Hooper swims up to the boat a substantious hole can be seen in the hull. Hooper extracts a tooth the size of his hand. It is at this point that we realise the scale of the shark’s size.
Hooper lingers about for a few seconds before deciding to look into the hole. The viewers are now trying not to look away because we expect the monstrous killer to come charging at the character. The silence of the water reassures us that no shark is coming. When we see a decapitated head slowly sinking, our hearts beat like an African drum. The characters reaction is almost paused because for a split second he does not do anything. Then suddenly the shock sinks in. We can see his reaction when his eyes widen and he screams. He then urgently starts kicking his legs to get out of the water. In his dash he drops the sharks tooth but saves his life. It is this tension the director exploits to the full, which stirs the audience up in a pot of horror.
