Great White Devours Sunday Afternoon

I cannot tell you how many times all my potential plans have vanished into thin air because of the 1975 summer blockbuster "Jaws." Well, it happened again today.

Usually if I come in early enough, I can resist it. But if I come in anytime after Richard Dreyfuss shows up, I usually succumb to its powers. Then when Robert Shaw comes on screen, all the chores, dirty clothes, dirty dishes, cat boxes, trash, half-read books, pet projects; they can all go to hell. Instead I find myself yelling, "Tie me a sheep shank!"

I think Quint is the perfect hero. He's gruff and unlikeable. And he's a bit too cocky -- he doesn't know what kind of shark he's up against. But then we begin to peel back layer after layer and find out that Quint is more than we thought.

I see a lot of Humphrey Bogart characters in Quint. At first we think that Rick in Casablanca is just a cynical, bitter son of a bitch who's out to screw over an old girlfriend, but gradually we learn about his dark but heroic past. With Quint, by the time Hooper has won Quint over, Quint has won us over.

The drinking scene, I think it goes without saying, is one of the greatest scenes in the history of film. I've seen Shaw's retelling of the USS Indianapolis so many times I know it's rhythym and inflection, and it's an absolute work of art. The way he starts off by smiling and putting his hand on Hooper's arm as Hooper is laughing about his own joke. Then, just the right number of dramatic pauses. He taps his tin cup of moonshine just right. He's got a glint in his eyes and a smile at some points, which hides the raw emotions beneath the surface. It's worth watching and rewatching no matter how long the to-do list is.

And while I'm at it, it's also Roy Scheider at his best. I sometimes forget that he's a New York City cop until they get on the boat, and he has no idea what he's doing. I love the scene when Jaws has come back to get them, and Scheider runs to his bag to get his .357 revolver. And the dangling cigarette -- what a great touch. His performance is deceptively simple, I think.

One other thing I was thinking about: the age of the characters. It seems that heroes today are much more likely to be 18-29 years old rather than the 30-50 range that you have in the great action movies of the 1970s. I shudder to think who'd be playing the three guys in a 2009 version of Jaws. I suspect Colin Farrell would be in there somewhere.

Finally, being perhaps the first summer blockbuster, it was un-self-conscious about a blockbuster. While there are big lines and big moments and special effects, everything is more understated. There's a lot of time to think and reflect and ignore dirty dishes, dirty clothes, etc.