Tiburón: la historia de un clásico

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story has a title that's half-right. It was released to celebrate 50 years of Jaws, but I wouldn't call this much of a definitive/inside story. There aren't too many bits of info shared here that haven't already been repeated time and again, even if you've not sought out hours of Jaws documentaries. I've read and watched a few things, not exhaustively, and this still gave me a bit of deja vu throughout.

I also appreciate that Emily Blunt likes Jaws, but I have no idea why she was such a prominent interviewee here. Everyone else is someone who was involved with the movie, related to someone (usually deceased) who was involved with the movie, some kind of shark expert, or a filmmaker who (usually) talks about being inspired by Jaws directly. And they're generally genre filmmakers, even if including them feels like a bit of a stretch. But what Emily Blunt can bring to this, not even serving as someone who can remember the film coming out, since she was born eight years after 1975... I don't know. Insane.

That's the thing most worth harping on about. Everything else here is serviceable. It packages behind-the-scenes info (a lot of it well-known) into an easy-to-watch documentary. They could've spent a bit more time on the film's second half, though. And maybe a lot less time with EMILY BLUNT WHY ARE YOU HERE EMILY AAAAGGGHHHHH.

If there was a movie most deserving of a special documentary about its making and legacy 50 years after its release that movie would be "Jaws". Like it or not, this one of the remarkable cinematic experiences that changed the game in the film industry, established for good the name of Steven Spielberg as one of the greatest film directors of all time, but also made the system pay more attention to film release calendars (being July a key month for blockbuster releases) which in turn made studios focus intensely on the business part more than the show.

But it's a damn great movie that never lost its essence, its charm, its humanity, and to a great number of people one of those classics that needs to be seen over and over. A true icon of the 1970's New Hollywood with a large following of fans and admirers who love everything about: the story, the acting, the editing, John Williams unforgettable tense score, and even the fear of swimming on a beach is shared.

Luckiest man in the behind the scenes department Laurent Bourezeau once again delivered a masterful look back to a cinema classic. If you watch DVD/Blu-Ray bonus materials you probably seen his name attached to several making of or tribute specials to countless films, and this one is definitely one of his best ever made. We have Spielberg recounting memories and impressions while making "Jaws", the many difficulties faced while shooting important sequences, dealing with studio heads and the inner pressure of believing that that the film would either make or break his career. Also involved with the film are the presences of composer John Williams and actress Lorraine Gray; but Richard Dreyfuss is absent except for some unseen behind the scenes moments.

Then there's also the great admirers of "Jaws" like directors Steven Soderbergh, James Cameron, Guillermo Del Toro, Cameron Crowe, J. J. Abrams, Jordan Peele, actress Emily Blunt, all with fond memories of seeing the film long before they become involved with the film industry. Those are the expected obvious parts yet it's pretty good to watch them all.

The difference from similar specials were the fascinating and lovely interviews with oceanographers, as the film presented a good view of their world and "Jaws" end up having a dual legacy about it - the ones favoring the protection of sharks and others wanting to become hunters like Quint; and the bits with the locals from the filming location who had small or extra roles in the picture, and how the film became an important part of their lives and the town too; and some curious info on writer Peter Benchley (who wrote the novel) shared by his family - the anedocte about Fidel Castro being a fan of the book as a metaphor for Capitalism and its problems was hilarious to hear.

It's a near perfect documentary that covers everything you need to know about "Jaws", its making and the everlasting experience it caused on many audiences. I believe that an extra half-hour was needed to show Spielberg's career and power afterwards - just to refresh some memories out there - and the big influence sparkled within the film industry, good and bad, and along with "Star Wars" that's the scenery we're into it when it comes to blockbusters and upcoming releases and the desperate need for bigger, better, faster and more of the same films which sometimes come with a compromised result. "Jaws" is a different case though. It was never a matter of luck, it was pure talent, hard work and the best people and the best intentions put together with an excellent result. Here's to another 50 years! 9/10.

This documentary was incredibly interesting and informative. It was a pleasure learning more about this amazing film, its cast and crew, and everything that happened behind the scenes.

I had no idea about the extent of the trauma Steven Spielberg experienced after the film's release, but understanding the challenges he faced while filming on the water, I can see why.

It was so great learning about all the different aspects of this film in detail and how they all came together to make a perfect masterpiece.

Overall, this was an amazing documentary and a massively enjoyable watch.

Happy 50th Jaws.

"The film that I thought would end my career, is the film that began it."

• Steven Spielberg.

I saw the recent documentary on Jaws, which was good and fairly informative, then watched the movie, probably the second or third time in my life. It was fun to see the documentary and know a little bit about the movie, then see the film.

The Definitive Inside Story gives great detail on the behind the scenes events. I grew up in Florida and was a surfer at the time Jaws came out. Up to that point when we were out surfing sharks never really came to mind but after Jaws they certainly did. One day while out surfing, 3 or 4 sharks were spotted between us and the beach, they were about 80-100 feet away and just kept on swimming.

Anyway, I digress. See this doc for a lot of good info on the film.

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story is an engrossing documentary about one of the best films ever made. It doesn't offer anything revelatory but it's always great to see some of the greatest filmmakers to ever do it talk about a game changer with genuine passion and love. It's a fantastic collection of filmmaking talent and people more directly linked to the original film, including Steven Spielberg himself opening up about the highs and lows of making Jaws.

Over the course of its very efficient 88 minute run time, it paints a full picture from the inception of the source material to the problem filled production of the film itself before culminating with the record breaking reception and long lasting appeal that perseveres to this day. Laurent Bouzereau's direction and the editing by Jason Summers make it all feel seamless. The archive footage is wonderful, especially seeing Robert Shaw using his real accent whilst in full costume.