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)
-Jaws. Dir. Steven Spielberg. Universal Studios, 1975. Film, 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.
-Jaws. Dir. Steven Spielberg. Universal Studios, 1975. Film, 01:26:28 – 01:34:44
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.