Analysing How Steven Spielberg Creates Tension and Suspense in Jaws

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Natalie White

Analysing How Steven Spielberg

Creates Tension and

Suspense in

Jaws

The essay is about analysing the ways the director builds suspense and scares the audience I shall explain the effects of the following:

Sound and music, camera shots, red herrings and tension in the plot. I will also include a conclusion and will give my vies on the scariest moment of the film and provide my reasons for this

 The film is called Jaws. We get some idea of what the movie is about by this title.

Steven Spielberg directed the film.

The story involves a series of attacks on swimmers by a great white shark. The effects of the shark attacks threaten the future of the resort’s tourist business, and. Finally, there is an epic attempt by three men to track the shark and kill it. The film is set in a fictional place called Amity Island in 1975.

The film begins with a title sequence, which last for approximately two minutes. We get a point of view shot; this is where we see a camera shot of what a character or, in this case shark can see. This includes music; the music is deep and slow; it eventually builds up to be quite fast and heart throbbing. The music indicates to us that something is in the water. As the music builds up to a crescendo, the shot dramatically cuts to a beach party with a happier atmosphere. It is happier because of the soft harmonica and because we, as an audience know that they are safe. It is also happier because we have just hade this really tense moment where we are led to believe that something will happen. The second scene focuses on a young girl who is isolated. We know she is isolated because she is not going along with the crowd drinking, smoking and taking drugs; she is also sitting all on her own.  We later discover she is to be the next victim. Chrissie decides to go for a swim. We get a shot from underneath the water with mysterious music lasting around ten seconds when the musical cue for the shark cuts in. The point of view shot works really well with the music, as we do not yet know what is in the water. The director keeps us, the viewers; unaware of what is actually the culprit of these revolting attack. As the film progresses we learn to associate the music with an imminent shark attack.

The next attack is that of a little boy Alex kintner. There are people playing on the beach and in the water. Brody (the police chief) is sitting tentatively, watching things intently. He hears screams from a young girl, but of course they are playful screams. Then we see a man playing fetch the stick with his dog. We also see a rather large lady go into the water, and finally we meet Alex Kintner. These are all very likely suspects of the next shark attack. Alex Kintner goes out on his lilo into the water. Then we get a point of view shot from under the water, but no music. The shark is not yet there. Something is approaching but we are not sure if we are being teased or not. Meanwhile we see a stick floating in the water and the man calling out for his dog. This makes us feel uncomfortable as the suspense increases. Next we see more children splashing and then the film cuts to a point of view shot approaching the Kinter boy on his lilo, from under the water. Now the music starts, and the boy is attacked. The music soon becomes a crucial cue for the shark. The director tricks us into thinking that the shark will only appear with the music. In actual fact the shark does appear without the music, when Brody is throwing bait out; this throws the viewers off guard. The audience sees the shark appear behind him. This is likely to make the audiences jump, as the shark is huge and appears out of nowhere and then disappears again.

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Silence is used after an attack to create a sense of tension and suspense, leaving us no option but to carry on watching the film, and to want to know what happens next. It also provides the audience with a moment for the drama to sink in.

Spielberg kept the audience on tender hooks by showing the first two attacks close together. In the Alex Kintner attack the camera’s first shot is of Broody looking attentively at what is around him. We immediately connect with Brody, as we know there is something out there and so does he. So ...

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