Month: July 2020

By Robert Seebach

Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in 2017. It was directed by Rian Johnson and stars Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill, John Boyega, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac. The screenplay was written by Rian Johnson.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the second film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. We follow Rey as she tracks down Luke Skywalker and attempts to enlist his help in battling The First Order. Since it’s release at the end of 2017, The Last Jedi has polarized the Star Wars fan base. There are some who claim The Last Jedi as being the worst Star Wars film ever made. I disagree, but that’s for another article.

The Last Jedi has always counfounded me with its inconsistency of quality. Let me be clear. When I talk about quality, I’m not talking about how the film looks. Rian Johnson and his crew created a beautiful film with some stunning visuals. The quality of which I speak, are specific scenes and the decisons the filmmakers made. Some of these scenes are emotionally moving. Others simply leave me shaking my head wondering what the Hell they were thinking. Let’s take a look at some examples.

Arguably, the worst scene in all of Star Wars is when Princess Leia Organa gets blasted out into space, freezes and then uses the force to float like Mary Poppins back into the ship. This scene is horrible on so many different levels.

Leia IS a Skywalker and undoubtably has honed her force abilities to a certain extent. I think most Star Wars fans are willing to grant Rian Johnson some creative license to that point. After all, it has been nearly 30 years since the fall of the Empire and it is reasonable enough to assume that Leia has honed her force abilities during that time. Nevertheless, it is absurd to assume that she has advanced to such a high level so as to be able to pull off her Mary Poppins act. It just isn’t believable. If you are going to make that big of a jump, you had better explain how it’s possible.

Rian Johnson provides no explanation on how Leia has become so advanced in the ways of the force. Could we imagine Luke or Yoda pulling off such an act? I think not.

Not surprisingly, there is the same issue with Rey. How is she so powerful without proper training? Again, that is for another article. As I’ve already stated, the film is visually stunning, however, the “outerspace/Mary Poppins Leia scene” looks silly. There is no kinder way to put it. It doesn’t look good. What is inconceivable is that the scene didn’t need to happen. Leia could have been blasted into space and killed and that would have been that. Due to Carrie Fisher’s untimely death, this could have been a practical end to Leia’s character.

Instead, Rian Johnson chose to keep her character alive, executed in the most ridiculous manner. This of course means that all of Leia’s screen time in Episode 9 will either be CGI or extra footage from Eisodes 7 and 8. This seems to be irresponsible on the part of Rian Johnson, especially considering that there was no need to keep Leia’s character alive. Maybe Rian Johnson, like George Lucas, believes that a film can be made with over 50% CGI and still look as good as live action? So, that is the worst scene of any Star Wars film ever made. There are some other, somewhat less egregious scenes which have left a bad taste in my mouth.

Now that we’ve explored the worst scene in The Last Jedi, and arguably the worst scene in any Star Wars film, let’s examine other questionable scenes.

It is evident that Rian Johnson made a conscious decision to take his Star Wars film in a new direction. I admire his desire to take a chance at interjecting something new and fresh into the Star Wars universe. I take umbrage with the manner in which this was executed.

One of the ways in which The Last Jedi departs from previous Star Wars films is its use of humor. To be fair, Star Wars films have a history of balancing dramatic scenes with interjections of comedic relief, often executed by strategically placed witticisms from various characters, from droids to smugglers. The humor used in The Last Jedi is not witty. It feels forced and awkward.

One of the very first scenes in the film shows Poe Dameron bantering with General Hux. There is no need for this silly banter and it comes across as being silly simply for the sake of being silly. I remember seeing The Last Jedi for the first time and feeling awkward as this scene played out. It appears the filmmakers were looking for cheap laughs.

Not only does The Last Jedi force humor into inappropriate scenes, it also employs humor which distracts and diminishes the emotional weight of dramatic scenes.

Case in point: Luke explaining The Force to Rey. Luke implores Rey to “reach out”. Rey says, “I feel something”, as Luke tickles her hand with a leaf. (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, 00:48:34 – 00:48:45) This is a dramatic scene in which Rey, who is hungry for any knowledge of the force is receiving insight from Luke Skywalker himself. Luke Skywalker is a legend in Rey’s mind. She is struggling with her place in the universe and finally she is receiving the knowledge she desperately craves. The dramatic importance of this scene is squashed before it has a chance to take root.

The same thing happens when Rey first meets Luke and hands him his lightsaber. At the end of Episode 7: The Force Awakens, Rey meets Luke on Ahch-To. She extends the lightsaber to Luke and the film ends. Star Wars fans wait for the next film in order to see what happens. In The Last Jedi, Rey hands Luke his lightsaber only to have Luke toss it over his shoulder into the ocean. It’s done in a dismissive and almost slap-stick manner. Rian Johnson is attempting to show the audience that Luke is disenchanted and no longer wants to be involved. There are many other ways in which the filmmakers could have shown this aspect of Luke’s character. Rian Johnson took the easy way out and sacrificed this potentially dramatic moment for a cheap laugh.

I won’t even bother discussing Finn and Rose’s subplot of tracking down a code breaker on Canto Bight. It’s as if the filmmakers didn’t know what to do with the characters of Finn and Rose and had to create something for them to do. DJ is a wasted character and the entire sublot has little to do with the rest of the film, and appears to be included simply for the sake of providing Rose and Finn with something to do while at the same time making a statement about animal rights. It’s a mess and a waste of time. The time that was wasted on this insignificant subplot could have been used to show Rey’s third training from Luke, which the audience was expecting, but never received.

It’s not all bad though! The Last Jedi has some beautiful cinematography, as well as some scenes which have the potential to be among the most iconic scenes in all of Star Wars. This is what makes The Last Jedi an enigma.

The final battle scene on Crait displays some beautiful cinematography. all the blaster and artillery fire which kicks up the red soil underneath the salt encrusted surface of Crait creates a stunning contrast. Likewise, the ski speeders of the Resistance create organic lines of red in the surface terrain.

The battle of Crait also has one of my favorite moments in the film. Rose has three Tie Fighters closing in on her. Just as her destruction seems imminent a single shot pierces through all three Tie Fighters. We see the shadow of the Millennium Falcon and the roar of its engines, quickly followed by a short snippet of the Millennium Falcon theme. I absolutely love the way this short scene plays out. We see the shadow of the Falcon before seeing the Falcon itself. This is a clever way in which to demonstrate that the Millennium Falcon, after decades of being lost in the shadows of the past is once a again a symbol of hope and rescue. This scene is reminiscent of A New Hope when Han fires on Vader’s Tie Fighter from behind, allowing Luke to fire the torpedo shot that will destroy the Death Star.

There are two notable scenes in The Last Jedi. Yoda’s conversation with Luke, while the two Jedi masters watch the Jedi texts go up in flames (or so they think) within the ancient tree was extremely satisfying.

Yoda still refers to Luke as Young Skywalker, which is so endearing. Yoda stresses to Luke the importance of failure and learning from one’s failures. All the while Luke is attempting to teach Rey about the Balance of the Force, so too is Yoda attempting to remind Luke that part of that balance is about accepting one’s failures and learning from them. Yoda’s wisdom is relevant to Luke’s tutelage of Rey, but also to Luke himself. Luke may have failed Ben Solo in certain ways, but we all have choices to make regarding our destiny. Luke did not create Kylo Ren.

The most poignant scene in The Last Jedi is Luke and R2-D2’s interaction aboard the Millennium Falcon.

Luke saunters into the Falcon taking in the familiar sights of its interior, which can only recall for Luke his loss and sadness for his now deceased friend Han Solo. Luke collects Han’s dice and sits, head down. R-2 activates and attempts to encourage Luke to return to civilization and help The Resistance. As Luke states to R-2, “I wish I could make you understand. But I’m not coming back. Nothing can make me change my mind.” (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, 00:34:26 – 00:34:35 ) R-2 turns and starts playing the old projection of Princess Leia begging Obi-Wan Kenobi for help in “Our most desperate hour.” (Star Wars: A New Hope, 00:34:39 – 00:35:00)

This was the image that sparked Luke’s journey to learning the ways of the Force all those years ago. Once again his sister needs his help. This scene connects the original trilogy to the sequel trilogy in a meaningful way and is one of the best scenes in the film.

This one scene almost single handedly saves The Last Jedi from being completely irrelevant. It is by far the scene which holds the most emotional weight and has the potential to be one of the most iconic scenes in the Skywalker saga. It is difficult to comprehend how this scene can be in the same film as Leia floating through space like Mary Poppins or Poe Dameron prank calling General Hux amidst a space battle. But this is the paradox of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Works Cited

Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Dir. Rian Johnson. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2017. Film.

Star Wars: A New Hope. Dir. George Lucas. 20th Century Fox, 1977. Film.

By Robert Seebach

Goodfellas was released by Warner Bros. in 1990. It was directed by Martin Scorsese and stars Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco and Paul Sorvino. The screenplay was written by Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi based upon Pileggi’s 1985 book Wiseguy.

Goodfellas follows the lives of three anti-heroes who are members of an organized crime family. The film focuses on Henry Hill and his progression as a member of a Mob crew. Henry narrates the story. His wife, Karen also narrates. Scorsese’s use of music acts as yet another narrator in the film.

Martin Scorsese is on record stating the importance of music within his films. For Scorsese, music is never simply background music. Rather, music serves a direct purpose. It enhances the storytelling. Scorsese grew up during the pre-television era. Scorsese states in a recorded interview with The Narrative Art, “Music was played when we were living on the Lower East Side, particularly in the summer, the windows were open, we’d see things in the streets – fights – or people dancing or something. And there’d be music coming from different windows, different places, whether it was rock and roll, swing, or opera, or anything like that; so that my life was scored with music that I never heard in film. So I said, if I ever make a film, I’d put this song against that.” (Scorsese, 00:1:03 – 00:01:27)

Goodfellas is a perfect example of this. This storytelling through music begins immediately as we hear Tony Bennett’s “Rags to riches” playing over the title credits. The mood and lyrics of this song inform the audience about Henry Hill’s character. Henry’s acceptance into the Mob allows him to go “from rags to riches.” Scorsese uses music to describe Henry’s trajectory throughout the film.

The music used during Henry’s childhood is period appropriate music which is either upbeat or romantic. There is an innocence to the music of this time period of the 1950s. Henry views the Mob in terms of a better life; he romanticizes it and the music used throughout these scenes reflects this. As an adolescent Henry begins spending more time around the mobsters, skipping school in order to work for them parking cars, selling bootleg cartons of cigarettes, and making sandwiches for wiseguys. They become his surrogate family. The nostalgic, upbeat music of the ’50s and ’60s symbolizes Henry’s outlook on life. Henry’s home life is mundane and his father physically abuses him. Henry is now a part of the romantic, powerful family of mobsters he used to idolize from his bedroom window.

An example of this is when Henry meets Jimmy Conway for the first time. The song played during this scene is another 1950s upbeat song titled “Speedo”, performed by The Cadillacs. Henry is enraptured meeting Jimmy. The song choice here reflects an elevating cadence from previous scenes, mirroring Henry’s elevating involvement in the world of wiseguys.

When we see Henry as an adult, Scorsese uses classic rock and roll songs. This type of music from the 1960s and 1970s symbolizes rebellion, decadence, and a carefree attitude. This of course mirrors Henry’s lifestyle during this period in the film. The Rolling Stones’s “Gimme Shelter” initiates Henry’s drug abuse. There are scenes of Henry as and adult which still utilize more innocent, romantic music. When henry first starts dating Karen, he takes her to the Copa Cabana. Scorsese uses The Crystals’ song “Then He Kissed Me” throughout the long shot of Henry escorting Karen in and through the Copa Cabana. This is Karen’s introduction into Henry’s world. Henry’s lifestyle seduces Karen. The romance is merely an interlude however and the carefree rock and roll lifestyle continues to grow.

Scorsese uses Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love” to depict the exact moment Jimmy decides to kill Morrie. By using slow motion, along with the use of “Sunshine of Your Love” which is a brooding song, and with Deniro’s facial expressions, we the audience not only know what is going to happen, we feel it. It’s almost as though we experience the thought at the same time Jimmy does.

This occurs in an earlier scene in which Tommy kills Billy Bats in Henry’s restaurant. As Tommy returns to the restaurant Donovan’s ominous song “Atlantis” plays. The song begins slowly and builds to a more intense chorus as Billy Bats’s beating takes place.

If there is one scene I’d recommend someone to watch which exemplifies Martin Scorsese’s use of music in film, it would be the “Helicopter Chase/Last Day as a Wiseguy” scene near the end of Goodfellas. This is a perfect scene. And Scorsese’s use of music is what drives the scene.

This scene depicts a hectic, paranoid, drug-fueled day in the life of Henry Hill. The scene starts out with a time stamp consisting of the day, month, and year, as well as the exact time. The scene opens with “Jump into the Fire” by Harry Nilsson and Henry snorting Cocaine.

If one listens to the lyrics of this song, they coincide with the actions and feelings of Henry’s character. As the song starts we see Henry snorting a line of Cocaine, getting ready to head over to Jimmy’s house in order to sell him some guns and silencers. The first two lines of the song are “You can climb a mountain/You can swim the sea.” (Nilsson, Harry, 01:53:21 – 01:54:02) These lyrics describe perfectly, the euphoric “I can do anything, I’m invincable” feeling Cocaine produces. This song is used as an anchor and is employed two other times throughout this scene. It’s utilized to mimic Henry’s Cocaine use, which by this point in the film has become a habit. We hear Muddy Waters sing “Manish Boy” when Henry is at his girlfriend’s apartment snorting lines of Cocaine and packing up the rest to take with him.

One reason I describe this as a perfect scene in terms of its use of music is that it isn’t just Scorsese’s choices of music, but the way in which it is edited. Camera movements coincide with the music. The abrupt cutting of Mick Jagger’s “Memo From Turner”, to The Who’s “Magic Bus, Live at Leeds”, coincides with Henry’s distraction while driving and nearly getting himself into an accident.

Another example is Henry and Karen driving to Karen’s parent’s house while the helicopter follows. Henry careens around a corner, driving erratically as The Rolling Stones’s “Monkey Man” plays. Before leaving Karen’s parent’s house, Henry surveys the sky for the helicopter. Henry concludes that the “coast is clear” and we hear “Manish Boy” by Muddy Water singing, “Everything, everything gonna be alright this morning.” (Waters, Muddy, 01:58:15 – 01:58:20) The music quickly changes to George Harrison’s “What is Life”, reminding the audience that what we are witnessing in this scene is Henry’s unstable life.

Editor Thelma Shoonmaker and Martin Scorsese brilliantly use short clips of various songs to not only mirror the sentiments of the main character, but to set the pace of the scene. Scorsese uses six songs throughout a scene in which the running time is approximately 10 minutes. Shoonmaker chops songs up into small portions, frantically skipping from one song to another. The scenes mirror the music. Periodic time stamps flash on the screen adding to the urgency. All of these elements working together produce a frantic, chaotic, paranoid feeling, which was exactly Scorsese’s intent. He wants the audience to feel the chaos which has becomes Henry’s life. Henry is spinning out of control.

Another notable use of popular music is the outro to “Layla” by Derick and the Dominos which plays over a montage of mob associates being found dead, having been “whacked” at the orders of Jimmy Conway. The outro to Layla has a melancholy, “this is the end of the road” feel to it, which is a perfect song to choose because at this point in the film Henry’s life with organized crime is coming to an end.

Scorsese also uses the lack of music as a tool. Once Henry is captured by DEA agents and his Mob lifestyle is over, the music ceases. In fact, there is no music for the final few minutes of the film while Henry goes through the transition of an exciting, decadent life to one of obscurity. The lack of music in these final scenes symbolizes how dull Henry’s life has become. The music is over.

There are many more examples of Scorsese’s brilliant use of popular music than the one’s I’ve mentioned here. I implore everyone who enjoys Scorsese’s films to review Goodfellas with a focus on how he uses popular music as a secondary narrator. No one utilizes music in film better than Martin Scorsese, especially in the “Helicoptor chase/Last day as a wiseguy” scene in Goodfellas, which is cinematic gold.

Works Cited

Bennett, Tony. “Rags to Riches.” 1953: Colombia 78: 40048, Adler, Richard, Ross, Jerry, Colombia Records, 1953.

The Cadillacs. “Speedoo.” The Fabulous Cadillacs, Navarro, Esther, Josie Records, 1955.

Cream. “Sunshine of Your Love.” Disraeli Gears, Brown, Pete, Atlantic Records, 1967.

The Crystals. “Then He Kissed Me.” And Then He Kissed Me (single), Spector, Phil, Greenwich, Ellie, Barry, Jeff, Philles (US, Canada), London (UK), 1963.

Derek and the Dominos. “Layla.” Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, Polydor Records, Atco Records, 1970.

Harrison, George. “What is Life.” All Things Must Pass, Apple Records, 1970.

Jagger, Mick. “Memo From Turner.” Performance, Richards, Keith, Decca Records, 1970

Leitch, Donovan. “Atlantis.” Barabajagal, Epic Record, 1969.

Nilsson, Harry. Nilsson Schmilsson, RCA Records, 1971.

The Rolling Stones. “Monkey Man.” Let It Bleed, Decca Records, 1969.

Goodfellas. Dir. Martin Scorsese. Warner Bros., 1990. Film.

The Narrative Art. “Martin Scorsese on Music and Film.” Online video/audio clip. YouTube. YouTube, 4 May 2018.

Muddy Waters, “Manish Boy.” Manish Boy (Single), London, Mel, Diddley, Bo, Chess, 1955

The Who. “Magic Bus.” Live At Leeds, Decca Records, 1970.

By Robert Seebach

Jaws was released by Universal Studios in 1975. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw. The screenplay was written by Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb and Howard Sackler, based upon Peter Benchley’s novel of the same title.

Jaws is a classic story of good versus evil. In this case, the evil is mostly unseen. The beach town of Amity has had a shark attack, but the Mayor attempts to downplay this initial attack as a fluke. Mayor Vaughn is concerned that the local economy will be irreparably damaged if the myriad tourists who’ve just arrived for the Fourth of July weekend discover that there is a man- eating shark off the coast of Amity Island.

The Mayor and other figures of Amity downplay the event. The shark takes another victim. A town hall meeting is called and a reward is offered to anyone who can catch the shark. Local fishermen catch and kill a large Tiger Shark and the town briefly breathes a sigh of relief. However, Matt Hooper measures the bite radius and determines that this is not THE shark.

Chief of Police Martin Brody- not an islander himself- finally convinces the Mayor to hire the only man capable for the job, Mr. Quint. Quint, Chief Brody, and Matt Hooper set out to capture the shark and soon realize they are in over their heads. In the end, it is Chief Brody who slays the proverbial leviathan.

The protagonist of the story is Chief of Police, Martin Brody. He is an unlikely hero because in many ways, he is not respected or accepted. Spielberg portrays Brody as weak at times. Brody has flaws, but he is self-aware enough to recognize his shortcomings and rise above them.

One trait Martin Brody has in abundance is altruism. Throughout the film, Brody’s actions are based on the well being of the community as a whole, despite having knowledge of the personal risks and dangers before him. He doesn’t expect any reward or acknowledgment; he proceeds out of a sense of duty.

From the very beginning of the film (and I’m speaking strictly of the film because the novel has some variations), we understand that Martin Brody is a good man. Spielberg shows us this through his interactions with his wife and children.

Perhaps the best example of this is the scene at the table where Brody and his son are left alone after dinner. Brody notices that his son is mimicking him and engages his son. Keep in mind, that at this point in the story, Brody is under immense stress due to the recent shark attacks and being undermined by the Mayor. But sitting across the table from his son, the only thing that matters is this moment he’s sharing with his son. He is present. This scene shows what grounds him – his family. Brody’s wife, Ellen watches the scene play out with a smile on her face. She appreciates her husband. He’s a good father.

Brody is also a protector of his family. He yells at his son to “get out of that boat”. (Jaws, 00:23:55 – 00:23:57) We see Brody as the protector in another scene where he tells his sons that he wants them to play in the bay because it is more safe. The culmination of that scene is Brody running to the aid of his son who has encountered the shark and gone into shock.

Even though Martin Brody is a moral man who has his family’s and the town of Amity’s best interests at heart, he is constantly being undermined. Brody and his family are outsiders.

Ellen asks an Amity resident, “when do I become an Islander?” (Jaws, 00:14:07 – 00:14:17) The resident tells Ellen that she will never be an islander because she wasn’t born in Amity.

There are numerous scenes where Brody is disrespected and marginalized, but the most obvious involve the Mayor of Amity. Brody wants to put up “no swimming” signs (“Let Polly do the printing!”). (Jaws, 00:11:16 – 00:11:20) Brody wants to close the beach for the Fourth of July. In each instance, Mayor Vaughn and his awesome pale blue suit with the anchors on it, shuts him down. Mayor Vaughn even colludes with the coroner to change the cause of death of Crissy Watkins. Mayor Vaughn continually points out that Brody is an outsider and adds further insult to injury by questioning his ability to perform his job, stating, “This is your first summer, you know.” (Jaws, 00:12:23 – 00:12:25) But Brody perseveres in the best interest of the town of Amity. Why? Because Chief Martin Brody has integrity!

Chief Brody isn’t the only character who is unaccepted, disrespected and marginalized. Matt Hooper from the Oceanographic Institute experiences the same disenfranchisement that Brody does.

Hooper feels unwelcomed the moment he steps off the boat at the harbor. He’s a rich outsider who isn’t taken seriously. Mayor Vaughn questions Hooper’s motives while standing in front of the Amity billboard along with Chief Brody. Hooper implores Mayor Vaughn to pay attention to the proportions of the shark fin painted on the sign by “paint happy bastards.” “Those proportions are correct”, states Hooper. To which Mayor Vaughn replies, “Love to prove that wouldn’t you. Get your name in the National Geographic.” (Jaws, 00:50:23 – 00:53:06)

At first even Brody questions Hooper’s analysis that this is not “THE shark.” “There’s no other sharks like this in these waters.” (Jaws, 00:34:56 – 00:35:38) However, Brody listens to Hooper, perhaps because he knows what it feels like to have no one listen. He respects Hooper and thus forms a partnership with him. Both Hooper and Brody have the best interest of Amity in mind, but they each possess the quality of humility. They know that they alone cannot catch or kill the shark. It’s beyond their expertise and each character recognizes this fact, sets aside their pride, and does what needs to be done.

Enter Quint. The residents of Amity do not accept Quint any more than they accept Brody and Hooper. The difference is that Quint neither needs nor wants their acceptance. Quint is a man who has forged his own path through life. Quint lives by his own code. He’s not there to help the people of Amity; he’s there for the money and the glory. The residents of Amity appear to despise Quint. But they do respect him, as evidenced by his blackboard scratching entrance into the town meeting: “You all know me. Know how I earn a living.” (Jaws, 00:20:53 – 00:20:57) Brody and Hooper, too grow to respect Quint. He is a necessary evil. They need Quint.

Quint wastes no time asserting his authority. Just like everyone else in Amity, Quint makes Brody feel inadequate and less than a man. Quint teases Brody as he’s saying goodbye to his wife. He points out Brody’s shortcomings when it comes to “being on the sea.” In fact, throughout the film, Brody is made to appear weak in this area, which he is. But this is also what makes his triumph in the end all the more satisfying. He is the unlikely hero, the underdog.

Brody’s own wife undermines him during their after dinner discussion with Matt Hooper (who thoughtfully brought a bottle of red AND white wine because he was unsure what they’d be serving.) Ellen informs Hooper that “Martin hates boats, Martin hates water. Martin, Martin sits in his car when we go on the ferry to the mainland.” (Jaws, 00:42:18 – 00:42:27) She isn’t consciously trying to embarrass her husband, but the effect on Brody is clear.

Apparently just about everyone in Amity knows that Chief Brody doesn’t like the water as we see when Harry (in his bad hat) states, “we know all about you, Chief. You don’t go in the water at all do ya?” (Jaws, 00:16:07 – 00:16:13) Hooper later states to Brody, while they are both on Hooper’s boat in the middle of the night, “well, it doesn’t make much sense for a man who doesn’t like the water to live on an island.” (Jaws, 00:46:25 – 00:46:41)

I see this scene as the moment when their partnership is solidified. Each has the same goal and are willing to accept their own limitations in certain areas, while respecting each other’s expertise in others.

Quint challenges Hooper because Hooper represents the establishment of which Quint will never be a part. He is aware of Hooper’s knowledge, so he challenges his seamanship. Quint first does this upon meeting Hooper and asks him to tie a Sheep Shank. Hooper passes the test without difficulty. Quint then attacks Hooper’s real world experience by taking his hands and stating, “you’ve got city hands, Mr. Hooper. You’ve been counting money all your life.” (Jaws, 01:08:14 – 01:08:35) Quint also teases Hooper about his “expensive equipment.” In a sense, Hooper represents modernity, while Quint represents the ancient.

In my opinion, Hooper does gain a small amount of respect from Quint. Quint and Hooper develop a camaraderie based on mutual respect. The “USS Indianapolis” scene masterfully illustrates this. This is one of the greatest scenes of dialogue ever captured on film. Robert Shaw’s delivery is sublime.

During this scene, we witness a family coming together around the table. Whether they like it or not, they are a family, or at the very least a tribe.

Hooper and Quint go tit-for-tat sharing increasingly heroic experiences and physical scars – battle wounds. It is through the sharing of these experiences that Quint begins to realize that Hooper is not the inexperienced, rich city boy he had originally thought. Hooper learns that Quint was a player in the real life, legendary maritime drama of the USS Indianapolis.

Meanwhile, Brody feels left out because he has nothing to share. We feel his discomfort when we see Brody off to the side lifting his shirt to examine his appendix scar, pondering for a moment whether this is a worthy enough story. Hooper is vying for Quint’s respect and approval, while Brody cannot compete. Instead, Brody turns his attention back to Quint asking him what the scar on his arm is. “Oh well, it’s a tattoo, I got that removed.” Hooper drunkenly quips, “Let me guess… Mother?” and laughs hysterically. Quint retorts, “No Mr. Hooper… That’s the USS Indianapolis.” Hooper swallows hard and asks, “You were on the Indianapolis?” Brody askes, “What happened?” (Jaws, 01:26:28 – 01:34:44) Thus begins Quint’s soliloquy concerning his experiences on the USS Indianapolis. The mood shifts from jovial to somber in an instant.

At its conclusion, Quint states that he’ll never put on a life jacket again. I take this statement to mean that Quint has experienced hell and if he ever finds himself back in hell, he doesn’t want to come back only to have to live with the experiences accrued there.

Quint and Hooper begin singing an old seamen’s tune in an attempt to break up the mood. Brody joins in. The tribe unites. The shark rams the boat, interrupting their solidarity.

After playing a game of cat and mouse with the Great White it becomes increasingly apparent that the crew of the Orca are in over their heads. Quint, in a rare moment of hopelessness even asks Hooper about using his more modern equipment. Again, we are witnessing the analogy of modernity taking over for the primitive. He’s desperate. Unfortunately for Quint, it isn’t enough.

In a way, Quint becomes a sacrifice to the evil entity in the most Dantesque way. Quint is the father figure who guides his companions into the dark depths of a world unfamiliar to them. Quint’s death is a metaphor. Quint has been on borrowed time and the agent of death has come to take what is his.

However, his companions have a higher purpose. They are on a mission for the greater good and owe the agent of death nothing. Brody becomes the unlikely hero. Brody is not a seaman. He doesn’t have harrowing tales of danger and adventure. Heck! He doesn’t even like being in or on the water! What Chief Martin Brody does have is morality, ethics, humility, and integrity. He is the personification of altruism. A man who selflessly took on the battle against evil for his fellow man because it was his duty and the right thing to do.

Works Cited

Jaws. Dir. Steven Spielberg. Universal Studios, 1975. Film.