JawsJennifer9.0· May 7, 2020FollowI saw that The New Republic wrote an article naming Jaws (1975) as the "Pandemic movie of our times" and honestly, I felt a little validated in my thoughts of the connection. Not only does this film reflect the current pandemic through its lack of a visible threat (the shark is only seen for probably less than five minutes of the total screen time), but also through the political turmoil that poses just as much of a threat to the public as the shark itself. Much like the Coronavirus, the threat of the shark in Jaws is something that isn't really seen, but more manifested in the damage that it leaves behind. As director, Steven Spielberg (at only 27!!!) does a fantastic job at building up the suspense of the film's aquatic predator through the placement of John Williams's iconic score along with the use of shark POVs. Williams’s iconic Jaws theme is only played whenever the shark is present. In this way, the music becomes the shark (and this also saves on showing too much of the animatronic shark, which would be seen as too unrealistic if shown for too long). The nature of the piece of music itself builds in suspense, as does its effect on the film. A panic sets in, even though audiences do not physically see the threat on screen, horror is struck by the damage, destruction, and carnage left in its wake. Similarly, in today's world, COVID-19 is not something that can be physically seen. We only see the symptoms and aftermath of what the virus does. As we see the numbers grow higher and higher, a panic begins to set in the minds of the public. ...I wonder what a COVID-19 theme would sound like? Even more important, I think, is the element of politics in Jaws. Chief Martin Brody wants to shut down the beaches right after the first murder of the teenaged girl, Chrissie Watkins. However, the mayor of Amity Island, Larry Vaughn, has other ideas, as shutting down the beach would ruin the town financially (it is a summer town, after all...). Vaughn uses his power as mayor to keep the beaches open and the town thriving, especially since the 4th of July is approaching, which is one of the biggest days of the year for Amity. As a result of this, the threat of the shark is tremendously downplayed to the public as more and more tourists populate the beaches. As to be expected, more people die at the jaws of the shark (ha!), eventually causing public outcry. After Alex Kintner, the child on the yellow raft towards the beginning, gets killed by the shark, his mother condemns Chief Brody after she discovered that Chrissie Watkins died earlier via shark and he didn't do anything about it. But that's the thing. The political and financial greed displayed by Vaughn, in conjunction with his ability to manipulate the people around him (i.e. the medical examiner changing his statements on the manner of death) caused more people to die just so the economy of the island could stay afloat. This persistent battle between Vaughn and Brody hits a little too close to home, as I watch the news and scroll my feeds. Protests have erupted across the nation consisting of people demanding that the country reopens so they can go back to work and finally get a haircut. But as there's still no way to fully prevent COVID-19 (we can't just blow it up with an air tank, unfortunately), and as the number of deaths still rise, it becomes a debate on what is more important. Is reopening the economy worth more human lives lost?? I'm sure if you ask both Brody and Vaughn, you would know where their answers lie.CommentsSign in to react and join the conversation.Sign inGet the appSee all Jennifer's reviews for Jaws (2)First watch9.0May 7, 2020Rewatch 110.0September 3, 2022