Analysis of the opening titles of 'Jaws'

 The second thriller opening that I evaluated was that of Jaws (1975).

Narrative Structure:

Jaws has a very linear narrative, as every clip flows in to one another which helps to tell the story from an early point. As the opening credits are being shown the audience are introduced to an unknown creature in the water and the narrative follows this mystery character through the sea from a point of view perspective, so to not reveal the creature's identity. A scene is then shown with many young adults enjoying themselves on a beach - the camera pans across the beach until it shows a boy and a girl gazing at each other across a camp fire which creates the impression that something is going to happen between the two of them. Instantly, the scene switches to one where the boy and girl are running across dunes to go swimming which is an example of how non-linear this opening is as this scene continues directly from the last one. This is shown again when the girl gets into the ocean and starts swimming, eventually getting attacked and presumably killed by an unseen threat in the water - all of the scenes in the opening flow seamlessly into one another.

Thriller Codes and Conventions:

The unknown threat is not revealed in the opening sequence which is an example of partial vision as the audience is aware that there is something in the water but they don't know what it is. This is also an example of concealment because viewers are not shown the whole picture. The transformed city model is also used because the beach where the opening takes place transforms from a safe environment to a dangerous one, as the teenagers are first introduced enjoying themselves on the beach before the scene ends with one of them being killed. Protraction is also used, as viewers expect the girl in the water to be killed by the mystery threat but this outcome is delayed to create suspense.

Camera Work:

The film starts with a point of view shot, presumably looking through the eyes of the unknown killer as it travels through the water. The shot confuses and panics the audience straight away as it is strange for them to be aligned to a killer. The shot is also very long and most of the shots in the opening of Jaws have very slow cuts which increases tension. An underwater camera is used for all of the point of view shots and a similar point of view shot is used at the end of the scene when the girl is attacked - this could also be considered a worm's eye shot as it is looking up from underneath the water at the girl on the water's surface. A panning shot shows all of the beach where the teenagers are until it reaches the boy and girl beside the camp fire, at which point a mixture of mid shots and shot reverse shots shows them staring at each other which creates the impression that something is going to happen between them. A tracking long shot follows the boy and girl as they run across the dunes towards the ocean - the way in which the camera follows the character's movements closely creates a hurried and panicked atmosphere as it is shaking up and down as it follows them. An extreme long shot of the ocean is used multiple times during the opening to show just how large, lonely and dangerous the ocean is and the drunken boy is shown many times with a mid shot, lying on the beach.

Mise en Scéne:

At the start of Jaws, the mise en scéne consists of an underwater section following an unseen creature through a typical underwater environment containing things such as seaweed and coral. There is not a lot for the audience too see and the environment is dark and murky which creates a tense atmosphere and gives the viewer a feeling of anticipation as they can't really solve what is happening or what is going to happen by what is shown in the opening. When the beach is shown with the teenagers on, a lot of people are shown which supports the relaxed and carnival like atmosphere of the scene, but also creates the impression that it would be easy to get lost and that if somebody went missing nobody would notice. When the boy and girl are running towards the ocean the camera moves in a frantic manner as it follows them to create a sense of panic and distort the viewer's vision of the shot, not showing much of the environment aside from sand, which could represent how the teenagers feel - they are both under the influence of alcohol so they would also be somewhat unaware of their surroundings with distorted visions. Once the boy and girl reach the ocean the boy is only ever shown lying on the beach alone which focuses attention on him and his inability to move as no space is shown on screen for him to move into. Whilst the girl is swimming out to sea not a lot is shown on screen apart from her which is an example of concealment as the viewer cannot tell how far she has swam which creates suspense as the viewer knows that the water is a dangerous place to be. An extreme long shot is shown many times both before and after the girl is attacked in the water that shows much of the ocean and a buoy which emphasises on how large, empty and dangerous the ocean is and keeps the viewer's attention as they feel that something could occur on screen at any point shown of the ocean at any time.

Sound:

The first thing heard in the film is the non-diegetic Jaws theme tune. The theme tune is quite deep and increases in pace which creates tension and indicates to the viewer that something is going to happen. In the opening sequence dialogue is kept minimal - like in most thrillers - and only brief conversation between the boy and girl is heard clearly and the diegetic sound of a guitar can be heard in the background. When the girl is in the water the bell on the buoy can be heard which is a signal of danger and creates an example of protraction because once we know there is a danger signal sounding we expect the girl to be killed, but this outcome is delayed. The bell continues to ring slowly and calmly even after she has been pulled under the water which creates a lonely and sombre atmosphere.

Editing:

A shot reverse shot is used when the boy and girl are shown sat together by the fire which builds their relationship and indicates that something is going to happen between them. An eye line match is used to follow the mystery creature through the water and cross cutting is used to switch between the sea and the beach to show two different locations in the same period of time. Many shots in the opening sequence have long takes; long length shots without the camera changing; and the editing is slow paced with slow cuts. Tension is built with long takes as it makes the audience concentrate more on everything that happens on screen. 

Graphics:

White text is used on a dark background which makes it stand out more and keeps it clear and simple. Large captial letters are displayed in the centre of the screen and the director's name - Steven Speilberg - is shown last to show his importance and authority. Once the picture of the ocean starts to become more clear the first text that is shown is the large 'JAWS' logo which gives the impression that the viewer is looking through the eyes of 'Jaws' at the start of the film. Actors and other people of importance within the film have their names displayed in bigger font than that of their roles within the actual film to focus attention on them. Super imposed graphics are used as the font is displayed over the image in the background.