Feeding Frenzy

This big white shark not only killed his hapless on-screen victims, but - more disastrously - an era of intelligent and thought-provoking American cinema called New Hollywood. Spielberg introduced a new dimension of immensely successful pulp storytelling. No place for adult themes and honest emotions any more... at least in box-office terms.

But fortunately, "Jaws" is pre-bumptious Spielberg, when he still worked as an effective craftsman, not a self-important mainstream "artist".

So the movie's thankfully devoid of the cuties and cheap symbolism and bathos, that would soon ruin most of Spielberg's work. Instead, what we get are solid thrills, a splendidly cast trio of shark-hunters, some funny lines and quite a shoddy-looking man-eating shark named Bruce.

7 out of 10 crushed plastic cups

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