Today in History, June 20: Jaws

byericpierre

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7 years ago

1975, on June 20, the movie "Jaws", an American thriller film, was released.

The movie is directed by Steven Spielberg and bases on Peter Benchley's 1974 novel of the same name. The Story describes a giant man-eating great white shark who attacks beachgoers on Amity Island, a fictional New England summer resort town. This prompts the local police chief to hunt the shark with the help of a professional shark hunter and a marine biologist.

Shot mostly on location in Massachusetts on Martha's Vineyard, the film had a troubled production, going over budget (US$9) and past schedule. The art department's mechanical sharks suffered many malfunctions. Spielberg then decided to mostly suggest the animal's presence. For this employing an ominous, minimalistic theme created by composer John Williams which indicates the shark’s impending appearance. Spielberg and others compared this suggestive approach to that of classic thriller director Alfred Hitchcock.

Now considered one of the greatest films ever made, Jaws was the prototypical summer Blockbuster. Its release was regarded as a watershed moment in motion picture history. Jaws became the highest-grossing film of all time until the release of Star Wars. It won several awards for its soundtrack and editing. Along with Star Wars, Jaws was pivotal in establishing the modern Hollywood business model, by revolving around high box-office returns from action and adventure Pictures released during the summer in thousands of theaters and supported by heavy advertising. It was followed by three sequels, and many imitative thrillers, none with the participation of Spielberg or Benchley.

In 2001, the United States National Film Registry selected it for preservation as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".