Here is the Picturehouse Central introduction to this special screening:
Join us for a Guardian Live screening of Steven Spielberg's Jaws, introduced by Observer film critic, Mark Kermode.
For 40 years Jaws has been terrifying cinemagoers out of the water. Based on a pulp bestseller by Peter Benchley, it is a story about an unlikely trio of men - an Ahab-like seadog (Robert Shaw), a hippy marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss) and a cop (Roy Scheider) - tracking down a killer shark terrorising a sleepy beach town. Long takes and John Williams's menacing orchestral score ratchet up the tension, but it is more than a masterfully constructed thriller. Critics have read it as a reaction to the Watergate scandal, an analysis of masculinity in crisis, and as an update of Melville's Moby-Dick. It also laid the template for the modern summer blockbuster.
Mark will introduce this special anniversary screening of the film, exploring its production, its legacy, and the elements that make it a modern masterpiece. Just remember: it's not about the shark.
Running time: 2 hrs & 45 mins, no interval.
Time Out review:
'Is there such a thing as a perfect film? One that knows what it wants to achieve and does it, flawlessly, artfully and intelligently? If so, then ‘Jaws’ is as good a candidate as any. Thirty-seven years on (and reissued in a new HD print), this tale of an island community terrorised by a killer shark still feels timeless and terrifying. The characterisation is precise and acutely observed (it’s one of the great guys-on-a-mission flicks), the dialogue is witty and wise, and the plot fits together like a finely crafted watch. The performances – not just leads, but the kids, townsfolk and the grief-stricken mother too – are impeccable. Best of all is Steven Spielberg’s direction: the camera moves like a predatory animal, gliding eerily across the surface of the vast Atlantic, creating sequences of almost unbearable suspense (never mind that the scariest scene was shot in a swimming pool). It’s no wonder a generation of holidaymakers still thinks twice before stepping into the water.'
Tom Huddleston
Here (and above) is the trailer.
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