Happy Birthday, Bruce!
HOW A STUBBORN RUBBER SHARK REVOLUTIONIZED THE FILM WORLD
Once upon a time in 1975, when Steven Spielberg – still a relative nobody in Hollywood at the time – accidentally created the first modern blockbuster. And all because a mechanical shark, lovingly christened "Bruce" (after Spielberg's lawyer – sic!), refused to work.
Steven Spielberg had three variants of Bruce built, as the shark was needed for different camera angles. The technology was groundbreaking at the time, but also extremely fragile: Bruce often didn't function as planned, which heavily affected the shooting schedule and budget. Originally, the film's budget was around 4 million US dollars, but rose to over 9 million US dollars due to technical problems (mainly because of Bruce).
But what began as a technical disaster became Steven Spielberg's greatest stroke of luck. Instead of putting Bruce in the spotlight, Spielberg was forced to focus the shots on what we don't see: the fear, the threat, the unknown beneath the water's surface.
Et voilà, in less than two weeks the film had recouped its production costs and dominated the entire summer of 1975 in American cinema charts. Until the release of STAR WARS in 1977, JAWS was the most successful film of all time. Less is sometimes more – a lesson that Hollywood likes to forget today.
WHY JAWS MADE FILM HISTORY
50 years later, JAWS is more than just a piece of cinema history. It's a masterclass in suspense and timing, crowned by one of the most gripping action sequences in film history. John Williams' iconic film score – just two notes that millions of people can immediately associate with the film – rightfully won the Oscar. But the grandiose film score isn't the only puzzle piece that justifies the film's top place in film history.
The famous dolly-zoom shot (also called the "Vertigo effect"), when Police Chief Brody on the beach realizes the shark attack, is now taught at film schools worldwide, the underwater camera work became a cinematic archetype, and the editing, also Oscar-winning, is considered a textbook example of skillful suspense building.
THE LEGACY
JAWS made Spielberg overnight the hottest director in Hollywood and paved the way for other classics like CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977), INDIANA JONES (1981), and E.T. (1982). The film established the concept of the "summer blockbuster" and changed Hollywood's marketing strategies forever.
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Of course, sequels had to follow, which vary greatly in quality: JAWS 2 (1978) was commercially successful, but less critically acclaimed. JAWS 3-D (1983) and JAWS: THE REVENGE (1987) are considered prime examples of how to ruin a franchise. Quote from Michael Caine, who appeared in part 4: "I have never seen the film, but I have heard it's terrible. However, the house I bought with the money is beautiful." There's nothing to add to that.
The film naturally also created countless copycats – from EATEN ALIVE! (1976) to PIRANHA (1978) to best-worst trash like SHARK ATTACK 3: MEGALODON (2002). Even current productions like OPEN WATER (2003), 47 METERS DOWN (2017), or THE MEG (2018) owe their existence to JAWS.
WE'RE BRINGING JAWS BACK TO THE CINEMA!
JAWS thrilled the masses in the 70s – and loses none of its suspense today. While today's blockbusters bombard us with CGI fireworks, the film proves that sometimes a simple fin is enough to terrorize the cinema.
If you haven’t seen JAWS yet – or want to finally (re)experience it on the big screen – now’s the time. After all, 50th birthdays are only celebrated once. That's why we're bringing it back to the big screen in various Swiss cities.
Get your tickets now and let's toast Bruce together. Good luck!
