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Steven Spielberg’sJawsis one of the most significant horror flicks that still gives chills to beachgoers. The iconic 1975 shark movie played a vital role in establishing the filmmaker as one of the biggest Hollywood names. But at one point,Jawsbecame too much to handle for a young Spielberg. The film’s production is so infamous that it even gave PTSD to theE.T.fame.
As witnessed in Spielberg’s projects, theJurassic Parkfilmmaker always flaunts a distinct style and a grand vision in his projects. Despite being the third project of his career, Steven Spielberg wanted to give his best toJawsand planned to shoot the entire film in the ocean.
While the difficult plan immensely contributed to the film’s worldwide success, the troubles that followed offscreen also had their toll on the filmmaker.
How didJaws’filming traumatize Steven Spielberg?
Jawsfocuses on the story of a police chief and marine biologist’s hunt for a ferocious great white shark, attacking the beachgoers of Amity Island. The 1975 film grossed $477 Million (viaBox Office Mojo) and took home 3 Oscars for its technical departments. Besides its financial and critical reception,Steven Spielberg‘s movie is also famous for presenting one of the best horror movie villains in the form of the man-eating shark.
However, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly (viaScreen Rant), Steven Spielberg admitted that the arduous filming process gave him major trauma.Jawswas plagued with numerous production issues that almost led Spielberg to think his career would end after the film.
“Pacino’s crazy, De Niro has no sense of humor”: Jaws Star Fought Tooth and Nail to Earn the Lead Role in Another Steven Spielberg Movie
The pressure to complete the grand project took its toll on Steven Spielberg and led him to face recurrent nightmares duringJawsproduction. The 77-year-old director revealed that he used to sit in the boat in the Universal Studios lot for hours with his hands shaking to process the trauma caused by the filming.
I used to come out for a couple of years after I made the movie to get over my PTSD. I would work through my own trauma because it was traumatic. I would just sit in that boat alone for hours, just working through, and I would shake. My hands would shake.
Peopleadded that the three-time Oscar winner also had a massive panic attack after the filming ofJawsconcluded. However, there is also a positive side to the story as Spielberg stated that the experience gave him complete creative freedom for the rest of his career and catapulted his stardom to a global level.
What were the issues withJaws?
It must be remembered thatJawswas a first-of-its-kind film in Hollywood due to some unique aspects. While the entire filming schedule in the ocean already raised immense trouble for the film’s crew, the animatronics used to create the ferocious man-eating creature in the film also had their fair share of troubles.
“It was marvelous!”: Michael Caine’s Jaws 4 Role Had the Actor Living in Denial His Whole Life
Big-budget Hollywood ventures set against the backdrop of oceans, were often filmed in large tanks or shallower water bodies. But Steven Spielberg, being the visionary director he is, chose to shoot the entirety of the film on a real ocean. This led the crew to face several calamities, including an instance where the boat Orca almost sank with all the crew on it (viaCollider).
While most people only focus onJaws‘ critical and commercial success, it also played a vital part in training Steven Spielberg as an efficient filmmaker. When the animatronics of the shark repeatedly malfunctioned, the filmmaker cleverly took a Hitchcockian approach and presented the foe as an unseen and unknown face of dread and horror. John Williams’ memorable background score also contributed significantly to it.
Despite going over budget and exceeding its original production schedule, Steven Spielberg was eventually successful in presenting the perfect summer blockbuster.Jawswas the highest-grossing film for a long time until it was overtaken by George Lucas’Star Warsin 1977.
Jawscan be streamed on Peacock.
Subham Mandal
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1461
Subham Mandal is currently working as a content writer for FandomWire with an ardent interest in the world of pop culture. He has written more than 1000 articles on different spheres of modern pop culture and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He’s also an experienced student journalist having demonstrated work experience with the Times of India. He aspires to be a column writer in the future.
