Analyse the ways that the director builds suspense and scares the audience in the opening to the film Jaws

imagine what the shark looks like, rather than be told and that gives the film more suspense. By using pov shots the audience is given a view from the shark, this makes the audience interested and wait eagerly to see the shark. It lasts for about 30 seconds and it builds suspense, as we know what to expect.         In the scene we think the shark is going to attack but it ends abruptly cutting to a scene with a bonfire and a party on the beach. This dramatically drops the tension within the film. Digetic sounds like people talking, sound of the waves and a mouth organ playing drops the tension to a more happy and jolly mood. The camera pans across the party, and although they each feel relaxed in their group, the shallow depth of field indicates that they are all individuals. The group of teenagers, who are drinking alcohol and smoking around a bonfire, indicates the anti-social behaviour that emphasises the teens' rebellion against society. Spielberg here might be symbolising a parental message in the scene. Both activities are illegal, and the punishment will be that one of the teenagers will die. The scene is at night and at the night the visibility of the audience and characters would be limited so the killing would take be at night is no coincidence. The warm glow from the bonfire on the people’s faces show a relaxing atmosphere. The camera goes into a medium close up of a male and a female indicating to the audience that something is going to happen to one of them.                                                                                         At end of the bonfire party scene the camera pans at two characters, a male and a female. If one of the characters were going to be killed it would be more likely to be the female because most horrors have females being murdered. This builds up suspense, as the audience knows that the 2 people will be in danger from the shark. The camera tracks the girl as she starts running towards the sea. The girl is going away from the light and safety of the party coming into the darkness. This indicates danger to the audience because as the two are running they become isolated from the group. There is a fence in the shape of a large fish in the background when the two teenagers are running. It symbolises the girl is running away from the shark. She is running with joy away from the boy but when she is swimming she will be trying to swim away from fear and death. We can no longer hear the sound of the beach party which emphasises just how isolated the teenagers are.                                         The scene cuts to the girl diving into the sea. The girl jumps into the sea and all you can hear is her swimming in the water.  The sea is supposed to be a relaxing sound but we know of the predator that lurks in its depths and we fear for the girl’s life. Having the scene set at night also adds tension and suspense because in the dark it is more frightening for most people as you cannot see well. The camera pulls back to show a wide shot of the sea. This shows how open the sea is and tells how much the girl is isolated in the water. The ELS makes her look small and inferior, which gives the scene suspense, as there is a violent creatures underneath her and the silence, which indicates to the audience that the attack is soon. The audience is anticipating the attack. We know that she will be killed because no one is around to save her. The boy is passed out on the beach and she is the only person in the sea. It identifies that the sea is big and no one else is swimming in it except the sharks and the fishes. Whilst the girl is swimming there is no music. This adds tension, as we know something awful is going to happen. Silence emphasises her movements in the water and that she is alone and helpless. Then the scene cuts and we see the camera from the point of view of the shark at the bottom of the sea. We can see the girl’s feet kicking in the water. The tense music gradually speeds up and we can tell that the shark is swimming towards her. Back to a MC up, we can see above the sea that she feels a pain by her facial expressions. The shark throws her across the water but we don’t see the shark still. The director is still building the tension up to the main attack. He emphasises that there will be more attacks to come and wants to build the story up until the main attack which will be amazing and shocking for the audience. She had swam such a distance that her subsequent screams cannot be heard by anyone. The unseen shark thrashes her through the water and she eventually hangs on to a buoy. After a final cry anguish and terror she finally disappears under the surface of the water and the shot dissolves to a cut for the next sequence.                                          After the attack we hear the innocent waves of the sea. It makes the atmosphere seem as nothing has happened. After the attack the sun has nearly set, the scene is a bright red but indicating the blood from the killing. We see an ELS of the sea and the sun setting is visible, the drunken boy sleeping is the only one who could have helped her or witness the brutal killing. The mood is calm as we hear the sound of the quiet buoy. The sudden change from a high tense scene to a calming scene makes the audience interested what will happen next. The audience are left asking themselves questions. Will the creature come back for more? What will happen to the creature?  The young girl getting killed would have a strong influence on the audience because they would be fearful to go for a relaxing swim. The director made many frightened people reluctant about swimming in the sea after this film was watched.                                                                                         The scene with the girl and boy when the girl goes swimming is the scariest moment in the film. The build up to the killing gives the film its impact of it being terrifying and frightening. The scene is set at night when most horror films are set. It makes the characters and audiences visibility limited. The darkness is often associated with evil. Such as Darth Vader and criminals in westerns. It is often indicates death, the fate the girl will encounter. The light sources would indicate safety and there is only the bonfire and the moonlight. The safe feeling disappears when the girl and boy run away from the bonfire party.  Although the light can provide safety, it can also resemble the visualisation of hell, which the girl went through in her attack. The director has a moral in that attack which is make sure you are aware of what is around you and observe your surroundings before making your move. The humorous tone is then replaced by an atmosphere of heavy menace by the shark. When the girl swims out to sea she is not aware that the boy has passed out, so she is alone in an unknown territory, where anything can exist under the water. The shark seems to rip her apart but the details are not shown because the director is building the scenes up to the main attack. We can only see her been thrown round like a baby playing with a toy. The camera shoots above the water when we want it to shoot under the water so the director has done that to build tension. I think that the scenes leading up to the attack and the attack itself are full of suspense mainly thanks to excellent camera shots, great symbolisation and the brilliant storyline which have made the audience feeling scared yet eager to see what would happen to the shark and the residents of Amity beach.