Music and Film: Jaws (1975)

An opaque dorsal fivesome slices by means of the water. Camera- augur-of-view on a young man splashing in the distance. The fin submerges. The sound track cranks up a notch Dum- Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum.. Bubbles, white foam, glimpses of something large and foreboding thrashing in the waves. The medical specialty increases in its transport Dum-Dum-Dum-Dum-Dum-Dum-Dum.. A red mist of blood that fogs the water. The earreach in the movie theatre screams hysterically. A disunite limb floats lazily to the ocean floor below. The harmony trails off. Dun-Dun-Dun-Dun-Dun-Dun.There keep back only been a handful of movies produced which hold up a soundtrack that is not only instantly recognizable, but where the medicament also plays such an integral instigate in the film itself. Jaws (1975) is such a film. The movie successfully tapped into several human fears of the unknown and translated these phobias into a highly entertaining film that doesnt talk down to its audience, nor uses v iolence gratuitously to get its point across.Commented Director Steven SpielbergI think one of the reasons I do Jaws was because I was afraid of the water ahead I read the Peter Benchley book, and at that placefore I was the perfect candidate to direct this picture, because I drive home a tremendous amount of anxiety ab discover the sea. Not so much some swim pools or small ponds, but certainly about the eternal sea.I have a lot of anxiety, and my master(prenominal) anxiety stems from not being able to see my feet when Im treading water. And whats down on that point with me, and whos nibbling on my toes. And I know how to express my fear cinematically. Ive always been good at that, and I thought when Jaws came along, well, I already have a tremendous fear of the ocean, and certainly a fear of cheats, and so I went to manu incidenturing businesss Dick Zanuck and David Brown and volunteered myself to direct the adaptation from the Benchley book (Excerpts from Steven Spielberg Interview)Composer John Williams enchantment no stranger to sound tracks for television and film (hed already won an Oscar as symphony producer in 1971 for Fiddler on the Roof) was just beginning to hit his stride on a practice of medicineal odyssey that would see his movie soundtracks crack the Billboard music charts and sells millions. Al close unheard of for instrumental compositions, let alone for movie soundtracks.Williams saw something unique in the Spielberg rough-cut. He viewed the film as moreof an possibility and less as a traditional horror film. Recalled Williams in a conversationwith film producer Laurent BouzereauThis is like a pirate movie I think we needpirate music for this, because theres something primal about it but its also fun andentertaining ( Lindahl, pg1 )As the legend goes, Williams was previewing proposed music for the film on his piano, playacting the basic structure for Spielberg and Bousereau and hammering out the now notable bar of impending doom on his piano keys. Spielberg thought Williams was kidding. dum, dum, dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum The rest as they say, is historyAt archetypal I began to laugh, and I thought, Johnhas a great sense of humor But he was in effect(p) that was the theme for Jaws. So heplayed it again and again, and suddenly itseemed right. Sometimes the best ideas arethe most simple ones and John had found asignature for the entire pee( Lindahl, pg 1)Let it be said that the music in Jaws is effective because its not over utilize. By playing the Jaws theme only to reckon the presence of the shark, the music is much more effective. Several examples of this stand out. The music played in the scenes of families playing at the beach have an almost home town flavor to them. The music when the boats are scene out to capture the shark have a classical feel and one scene in particular of a child playing in the water with a fake shark fin has no music at all. Collectively, this contrast in musical sty les plays to the audiences advantage. They know in short order when they do hear the jaws theme that theres no mistaking the fact that the shark is going to make an appearance.What is it about the movie Jaws and its music that sets it apart from so many an new(prenominal)(prenominal) adventure and suspense films? Oddly enough, prior to the films premier there wasnt a genre for this type of film. Horror and suspense were considered Category B or C.In fact, afterward Jaws wacky 100 million dollars during its North American Box Office the genre of monster/animal/ villain stalking its give was firmly in place. Whose to say theres not a olive-sized bit of Jaws in every film ranging from Rambo to Halloween? Certainly there are variations of John Williams film score in the above mentioned film and more.Stephen Spielberg has gone on record as saying that Jaws wouldnt have been nearly as successful if it didnt have the music it did. Plainly put, the music works. Would any other type of soundtrack so indelibly stamp an image on the subconscious of theaudience? Highly doubtful. The by-now famous dum, dum, dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum creates an instant visual. But also serves as a metaphor for the sharks excitement when it approaches its prey or when it approaches the boat of Robert Shaw.Critics can say what they will regarding John Williams score for Jaws. As a scrap of music it is not the kind of score that allows for listening while lying down on the jitney for example. It is music that conjures up images. There are several suites if the term can be freely utilise that showcase Williams versatility as a scorer of music and as a producer who knows how to grab his audience by the collar.When it comes to music that creates a sense of suspense and hysteria the loaded Shark Cage fugue bears listening to more than once. Similar treatment is due The Great Shark Chase and the nearly five minutes long Man Against Beast, where renditions of the familiar theme appears and disappears, interwoven with the theme associated with the actual shark hunting.However, Williams use of Quints sailor song as a recurring theme is used to great effect as a vehicle to mark the captains inner resolution and character. He sings it when he is in a good mood, or when he needs to conjure up his muse part and a-do to you fair Spanish ladies, farewell and a-do to you ladies in Spain Williams interweaves this ditty at crucial parts of the film. Most notably when his circularise The Orca is floundering and ready to sink. The shark is waiting out there somewhere and Quint is running out of luck. The music again in this case not even the theme is used to great effect.On a more technical note, it would be impossible to discuss the impact of the Jaws soundtrack on the film, without exploring how the music itself was packaged and made available to the public as a marketing tool. Andrew Drannon provides a valuable perspective on the issued soundtrack for Jaws, as well as an astute track by track breakdown of the music on its latest re-issue. Drannon mentions that the original Jaws score exists in three recordings The original LP and a 1992 CD re-issue feature about half an hour of music that Williams rearranged and re-recorded for the sole purposes of the album, and this was for a long time the only available music from the picture. Drannon delves further into the music, sayingFilm score collectors have been historically quite adamant in their demands for have sex releases of soundtracks, namely for the scores of John Williams, which so often leave out highlights of the music and place them into misidentify suites.To some, this may seem a bit unneeded, due to the fact that the original 35-minute LP album featured a great majority of the score, with a few of the shorter cues actually expanded into suites.Still, for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the film, Decca saw adequate to rescuethe entire musical work, minus the album expansions for a 51-minute CD release. Fans will be prideful due to the inclusion of almost 30 minutes of new material, including fantastic cues not used in the film, which make up for the loss of the infamous original album developments (Andrew Drannon pg 1)The final re-issue presents the jaws soundtrack into a more sticky listening experience.Years after the film made its debut in theatres, after countless showings on television, after a Jaws Fest even, the music ha become an institution. There have been only a handful of films where the music has much such an impact the James Bond franchise, Enrico Morricone with The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, and possibly the Indiana Jones series. But none make the blood curl, create a knot in ones stomach and send a chill up the spine like John Williams soundtrack for the original summer blockbuster, Jaws.ReferencesSpielberg, Steven. Interview excerpts, Jaws thirtieth Anniversary Special EditionDVD linear notes, 2005Lindahl, Andreas. Scoreviews.Com. Internet article. pg 1 1998Ibid. pg 1Drannon, Andrew. Decca Music Group Sound Tracks Review Jaws 25th Anniversary Edition. Internet article. pg 1. 2000