Have I said this already? I feel like I have. I know I have (right here). But I’ve just got to say it again.
You usually hear people say, “the book was so much better than the movie.” Of course. You establish your own style — your own opinions — all coming out of your own imagination.
Then you see the movie, and it just doesn’t live up to it.
But there are the occasional exceptions. Like when you read the book Jaws, and then see the movie. The movie is clearly better. And I think I know why.
Let me tell you this up front. I’ve not cared much for Steven Spielberg at various times. He did some incredible movies…but then he mailed a lot in (I may have said this before too — better search on “Spielberg” in my history). Sure, the gags worked at one time in his movies, but when he brought them back or tried too hard to imitate them, they had so much less punch. After a while, it feels too much like he’s just trying to get cute.
But recently I saw a clip from Raiders of the Lost Ark — a clip that explained the classic setup Spielberg was using to give the moviegoer an entire history in just a few short minutes (when Jones first met the government agents who first asked about the ark). The poster called it something like “epic storytelling,” and he was right. That short scene laid out so much of the movie’s plot and the importance of what was to come, and Spielberg nailed it.
And now, having just finished the book (Jaws) again, it’s become even more clear what an absolute masterpiece the movie is. Spielberg did such a wonderful job telling the story in a frightening, yet believable way. This is a glaring problem that the book has — nothing about it really separates it from the typical jump-scare, slasher teen movie with a stupid plot. In the book, the shark is somewhat mystic — terrorizing the citizens of this one little coastal town by hunting them down and ignoring the rest of the ocean. Kind of silly, really. And unbelievable.
But Spielberg fixes that masterfully. Sure, Benchley worked on the screenplay, but Spielberg brought it to life in just the right way to make it believably scary. And that’s the kind of movie you can watch again. Part of the fright is that it really could happen. You don’t have to suspend disbelief to make it work repeatedly. I’d like to add too that the movie is filled with likable characters. Even Larry Vaughan, the mayor (played by Murray Hamilton — who appeared somewhat forgettably in about a million other films and TV shows) that forces Brody to keep the beaches open before more people die, is not unlikable (I actually think the few scenes in which he appears are very well done — the scene on the ferry for example).
The book? Not so much. Spoiler alert: Most of the characters in the book kind of suck. Hooper has sex with Brody’s wife (who intentionally seduced him). Vaughan isn’t mayor, but he’s involved in some really shady stuff. Quint is Quint (but no one can bring the character to any kind of life outside of Robert Shaw anywhere). And of course, there’s the shark…who turns out to be a real…jerk.
So there you have it. My repeat of a post from 5 years ago…but probably better. Because I do have one other point:
I picked up the book again because I actually wanted to watch the movie; but looking for it online it popped up on a streaming service to which I was not a subscriber. What could I do? So I thought maybe the book would work for me…but, as I’ve said, it kind of doesn’t. All I could think while reading it was how it was a cheap imitation of the movie. It made a weak attempt at mystic spookery — was this fish really evil? Was it thinking — targeting the citizens of this little town as retribution for some past sin? And here I could see where Spielberg saved it. He made it somewhat believable, and where it was lacking there, you could easily think your way past it (like why did the shark chase the boat in the movie? Well, won’t hornets chase you if you kick their nest?). The book had the shark hunting the humans. The movie just had him eating them…just like any other food.
But here it is: I remembered that I actually have the movie. Yes…I own it. Let me explain to the kids: Movies (and music) used to come on video tape (and then later on DVDs). You could buy the movie and watch it any time you wanted (still can). But wouldn’t we rather have a streaming service where you can watch so many things any time you want?
Well…maybe not. Because now if you want to watch something, you have a million choices, but none of them what you really want to see. Just general slop for which you have to settle.
So when I looked in my closet for Jaws, I found it. And I found maybe 20 other movies and shows that I thought worth keeping over time (like HBO’s Band of Brothers, which I can watch any time I want, even though I don’t have HBO). And I consider this: that the money I spent on these DVDs is far less than I would spend on the multiple streaming services I would need to see all of them “any time” I wanted. And when I think about it, it’s almost like reliving my youth, when I could only see Rudolph, A Charlie Brown Christimas (or The Great Pumpkin) once a year. An event. And maybe actual events are all we really need.