In 1975, Steven Spielberg created the ultimate monster movie with Jaws, and he did it by accident. Chances are you know the behind-the-scenes story about how, during production, the mechanical shark kept breaking down. The great white was supposed to be in the final film a lot more, but those issues forced Spielberg to find a way to work around it. He did this by making John Williams’ score the monster. The iconic theme made Jaws more terrifying because we had to imagine the shark in the early sections of the film, but no matter how effective that technique was, the movie was always going to reach a point where audiences needed to see a big, scary fish. Most people remember the “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” scene with Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) as the first time you actually see the shark in Jaws, but that’s not correct. The great white actually appears much earlier in the film.
The Chum Scene Is ‘Jaws’ Most Famous Moment

In Jaws, the score might be more terrifying than anything else, but it wasn’t the only trick used in making audiences feel the monster’s presence without actually showing it. There are also countless POV shots in the water and scenes of the shark’s dorsal fin emerging from the ocean like a knife. Jaws also employs a few highly effective jump scares, like when the head of poor, deceased Ben Gardner appears in a ripped-open sunken boat hull. But Jaws’ best jump scare — and one of the most effective jump scares of all-time — is the chum scene.
Brody, Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), and Quint (Robert Shaw) are on The Orca, trying to lure the great white out of the water. Brody is tossing chum into the water when, out of nowhere, the shark lunges, its mouth open wide. This causes a shaken Brody to back up to Quint and exclaim, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” It’s an unnerving moment, and one done so perfectly that it’s what many of us remember as the shark’s first reveal … but it actually wasn’t!
The Shark First Attacks During an Earlier Scene

The shark shows its face for the first time in Jaws during the estuary scene in the second act. It’s Fourth of July weekend, and, with the mayor of Amity (Murray Hamilton) refusing to close the beaches, everyone’s out enjoying the sun. In the estuary, three kids, including Chief Brody’s son, Michael (Chris Rebello), sit on a small boat when a man (played by stuntman Ted Grossman) in a red rowboat approaches to ask the boys if they’re okay. The entire time, the dorsal fin is closing in on him fast, without him or the boys ever noticing it.
When the man is knocked into the water, we expect to have an invisible force pull him down, but instead we get a good glimpse of the shark’s head underwater. That right there is enough of a jolt, but then its head lunges out and grabs the man, who screams and goes under. The scene immediately cuts to his ripped-off leg falling to the sea floor, before swinging back to above water where the boys, who have also been knocked off their boat, struggle to climb back on. Michael can only watch in horror as the shark heads right for him before swimming on past.

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The Estuary Attack Is Just as Effective as What Happens on the Orca

Image via Universal Pictures

The estuary scene works on several levels. This small area off the ocean, so near the beach and other people, feels safe. We see the great white break the surface just feet from Brody’s even younger son, Sean (Jay Mello), who’s nearby on the beach playing in the sand. Then a young woman who sees the beast starts screaming “shark!” At first, no one listens to her, and it’s excruciating for the audience, who wants to yell at the screen like it’s a slasher movie and the killer is right behind a character.
The attack itself is quick. There’s a little bit of blood and that gory leg falling through the depths, but it doesn’t linger or sensationalize. We don’t know this man, but we immediately care about him because his very last act is making sure some kids are okay. His screams are horrifying, and the shot of the great white — the first one in the film — is effective because it’s still only a tease. Spielberg shows only part of the shark’s head, giving the audience a peek of what’s haunting the ocean’s depths without fully revealing the creature.
The chum scene is bigger, but the attack in the estuary works just as well, because it shows that none of the film’s characters are safe. You don’t have to go out hunting the shark or go swimming at night to die. In Jaws, it can be the middle of the day, just feet from the shore, with dozens of people around, when you meet your end.

Jaws

Release Date

June 18, 1975

Runtime

124 minutes

Writers

Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb, John Milius, Howard Sackler, Robert Shaw