H.P - Jaws Opening Scene Analysis

The opening scene of Jaws (Spielberg, 1975) displays and number of film making techniques that are common to the horror genre and create a sense of tension and threat. The following are some of the main points of interest in this opening scene that help to generate the horror atmosphere in this sequence: 

• Track and dolly shots show the two young people running along the sand bank, silhouetted against the sea and sky. The contrast between the sea and the shapes of the people make it imposing, providing a sense of threat in an otherwise harmless part of the scene. This also represents the girl as youthful and impulsive.
• Dialogue from the boy confirms that they are drunk, by his unconvincing claims that they aren’t. A medium long shot of the boy on the beach falling asleep is set against either a sunrise, which connotes the appearance of a new situation, or a sunset which would connote an ending, perhaps foreshadowing the Crissie's death.
• In the various long shots of Crissie swimming there are only the diegetic sounds of the sea, her swimming and the bell on a buoy. This provides tension and an expectation of something approaching, reinforced by the following shots from beneath the water looking up.
• She is pulled under slightly, accompanied by a sharp section of music, a shocking contrast to just before. This provides the first real scare of the film, which is coming from a threat not shown on screen. This strengthens the sense of threat provided by the creature. Close up and medium close up shots, combined with dramatic, disjointed music and the shrill screams and pleas of the girl make for a sudden and distressing sequence during the attack.
• All the shots are dark and from a fairly low angle, contributing to the sense of danger. This sequence of events portrays the girl as being foolish, while also giving the audience a genuine fear for her, made stronger by the inter-cutting of this sequence with silent shots of the boy on the beach.