Jaws (BFI Modern Classics)
by Antonia Quirke
List Price:
Our Price: $9.72
You Save: $5.23 (35%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $9.51 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Antonia QuirkeEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-08-26
ISBN: 085170929X
Number of pages: 96
Publisher: British Film Institute
Book Reviews of Jaws (BFI Modern Classics)
Book Review: A Decent Bite
Summary: 4 Stars
The 1970s saw a lot of disaster movies which kept viewers on edge. To a newer generation, Jaws may seem like little more than one of the best. But it was far more. Given a morose novel to work with, director Steven Spielberg not only exceeded expectations for the final product but created a whole new event in the world of cinema - the summer blockbuster.
The plot of Jaws is well known. One big - really big - shark decides dining is particularly good off the shores of Amity and decides to sample the buffet. It is up to our heroes to take the fish out. As the author of this monograph notes, Spielberg made a wise, but no doubt unusual, choice of not showing the shark in its full glory until later in the film. Instead, the shark terrorizes not only the citizens of Amity, but the viewers in the theater, more by the atmosphere it creates than by its actual presence.
Antonia Quirke breaks JAWS (the BFI book) into two sections, consistent with the action in the movie. The first part takes place on The Land. The second part takes place on The Sea. On land, it is Police Chief Martin Brody who takes center stage. Having moved to Amity from New York City to make a difference, he now sees his decisions about life and death (through his desire to close the beach) vetoed by the mayor, a cog of bureaucracy standing in the way of getting things done as greasy as any Brody might have encountered in the Big Apple. The effect that this has on Brody, and shark expert Hooper as he comes into focus, is explored.
In the seond part, The Sea, it is Quint, the sharker, who takes the center. The movie takes place on his stage, specifically his boat Orca. The shark represents more than just one more animal to Quint. It represents the loss of his friends, eaten by sharks in the waters during World War II, and Quint's subsequent alienation from the rest of society. Although the trio may seem like a comic trio at times, Brody and Hooper are playing the saps to Quint's straight guy and their characters are displayed as reflections off of the dominant personality.
Stronger than a lot of titles in the British Film Institute series, JAWS is a worthwhile read. Of course, one has to want a deeper understanding of the movie to begin with. Not everyone is a movie buff. Some people just want a good fish story.
Performing Arts Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Performing Arts Books
The Film Director: Updated for Today's Filmmaker, the Classic, Practical Reference to Motion Picture and Television Techniquesby Richard L. Bare
Wiley; Published: 2000-05-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.75
Price in other shops:
How Movies Workby Bruce F. Kawin
Allyn & Bacon; Published: 1987-03-13; Hardcover; Book
The Sun Soap Quiz Book: 2,000 Questions on Your Favourite TV Soap Operasby Chris Bradshaw
HarperCollins UK; Published: 2008-05-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.99
Price in other shops:
Make Your Own Adult Video: The Couple's Guide to Making Sensual Home Moviesby Petra Joy
Collins; Published: 2007-01-03; Paperback; Book
Blessings in Disguiseby Alec Guinness
Fontana; Published: 1986; Paperback; Book
Irish Dancing (Collins Pocket Reference)by Tom Quinn
Harpercollins Pub Ltd; Published: 1998-11; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops:
Harmonyby Heinrich Schenker
University Of Chicago Press; Published: 1980-10-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $33.64
Price in other shops:
A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting, Second Editionby Steven Louis Shelley
Focal Press; Published: 2009-10-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $38.82
Price in other shops:
The Theater Experienceby Edwin Wilson
Mcgraw-Hill College; Published: 1994-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $24.94
Price in other shops:
Bill Hicksby Kevin Booth
Harpercollins Entertainment; Published: 2005-03-21; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $40.00
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
The Searchers (BFI Film Classics)by Edward Buscombe
British Film Institute; Published: 2008; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.47
Price in other shops:
On the Waterfront (BFI Film Classics)by Leo Braudy
British Film Institute; Published: 2005-04-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.43
Price in other shops:
Night of the Living Dead (BFI Film Classics)by Ben Harvey
British Film Institute; Published: 2008-07-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.98
Price in other shops:
The Silence of the Lambs (BFI Modern Classics)by Yvonne Tasker
British Film Institute; Published: 2002-03-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.20
Price in other shops:
Chinatown (BFI Film Classics)by Mick Eaton
British Film Institute; Published: 1997-12-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.10
Price in other shops:
Citizen Kane (BFI Film Classics)by Laura Mulvey
British Film Institute; Published: 1992; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.93
Price in other shops:
Taxi Driver (BFI Film Classics)by Amy Taubin
British Film Institute; Published: 2000-03-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.97
Price in other shops:
Star Wars (BFI Film Classics)by Will Brooker
British Film Institute; Published: 2009-10-13; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.81
Price in other shops:
2001: A Space Odyssey (Bfi Film Classics)by Peter Kramer
British Film Institute; Published: 2010-08-17; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.63
Price in other shops:
The Godfather (Bfi Film Classics)by Jon Lewis
British Film Institute; Published: 2010-10-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.00
Price in other shops: