Jaws Scene

The scene involves a busy beach, where a local sherriff (Officer Brody) is watching over holidaymakers in the sea after reports of a shark attack.

The scene starts with a shot of a woman walking into the sea. People walk past the camera occasionally, creating the effect that the viewer is at the beach. Sometimes as a person walks past the camera, the view changes from looking into the sea to focusing on Officer Brody. The director (Steven Spielberg) uses medium shots to create a sense of familiarity with the characters, making the viewer feel more in touch with the characters. As the tension increases, particularly as Alex (pictured) is eaten by the shark, the tempo increases, and the shots are shorter and frequent. As Alex is eaten, the camera tracks in but zooms out on Officer Brody, giving a surreal effect that shows how Officer Brody's emotions abrupdtly change.