Les Dents de la mer: les secrets d'un film culte

Saw Jaws when I was very young, and it scared the crap out of me and everyone else in the theatre. For people who know the port hole scene, this made everyone jump in the theatre. The summer of '75 was the Summer of the Shark. This was a great doc with interviews of Spielberg and a lot of cast and crew (archival footage for those who have passed). It was an epically long and tough shoot for the cast and crew. It was also interesting to see the effect on the town of Martha's Vineyard, where Jaws is still celebrated today. At the end of August 2025, they are re-releasing Jaws at IMAX, and I will be there.

I saw the recent documentary on Jaws, which was good and fairly informative, then watched the movie, probably the second or third time in my life. It was fun to see the documentary and know a little bit about the movie, then see the film.

The Definitive Inside Story gives great detail on the behind the scenes events. I grew up in Florida and was a surfer at the time Jaws came out. Up to that point when we were out surfing sharks never really came to mind but after Jaws they certainly did. One day while out surfing, 3 or 4 sharks were spotted between us and the beach, they were about 80-100 feet away and just kept on swimming.

Anyway, I digress. See this doc for a lot of good info on the film.

For my money, still Spielberg's best film and the one that changed cinema in terms of thrillers and blockbuster screen entertainment. There have over the years been a number of documentaries, mostly pretty good, charting how this came into being, the difficulties in making it and of course it's phenomenal success. I think there are a number of new things not said before here:

1. It shines much more of a light on Benchley and his family and how the book happened.

2. It is clearer the role shark whizzes Ron and Valerie Taylor played and their value to Spielberg.

3. The role played by, and the impact its creation had on, the Martha's Vineyard community - I had no idea how many locals took part including starring in the film.

4. A more detailed and thoughtful look at its legacy, including Robert Shaw's son's play.

The only elements I wasn't sure of were the John Williams section - fine, but nothing new and what Emily Blunt, bless her, was doing there - assume this was done in between filming Spielberg's new film in which she stars. Crucially though, the main interest is Spielberg's candour. Obviously he's a great director etc etc, but he rarely really opens up - he tends to make a lot of considered observations about all the great guys in Hollywood. Here he does and indeed from watching him talk and the mental anguish it gave him, it was a miracle the thing got made, particularly given the grief he was given by Universal executives and THAT one actor, whoever they are - you need to watch the film!

Overall then I can't say it's a ground breaking documentary, but it is interesting and has some good new stuff in it and after all it is one of the greatest films ever made and therefore richly deserving of the accolade.

If there was a movie most deserving of a special documentary about its making and legacy 50 years after its release that movie would be "Jaws". Like it or not, this one of the remarkable cinematic experiences that changed the game in the film industry, established for good the name of Steven Spielberg as one of the greatest film directors of all time, but also made the system pay more attention to film release calendars (being July a key month for blockbuster releases) which in turn made studios focus intensely on the business part more than the show.

But it's a damn great movie that never lost its essence, its charm, its humanity, and to a great number of people one of those classics that needs to be seen over and over. A true icon of the 1970's New Hollywood with a large following of fans and admirers who love everything about: the story, the acting, the editing, John Williams unforgettable tense score, and even the fear of swimming on a beach is shared.

Luckiest man in the behind the scenes department Laurent Bourezeau once again delivered a masterful look back to a cinema classic. If you watch DVD/Blu-Ray bonus materials you probably seen his name attached to several making of or tribute specials to countless films, and this one is definitely one of his best ever made. We have Spielberg recounting memories and impressions while making "Jaws", the many difficulties faced while shooting important sequences, dealing with studio heads and the inner pressure of believing that that the film would either make or break his career. Also involved with the film are the presences of composer John Williams and actress Lorraine Gray; but Richard Dreyfuss is absent except for some unseen behind the scenes moments.

Then there's also the great admirers of "Jaws" like directors Steven Soderbergh, James Cameron, Guillermo Del Toro, Cameron Crowe, J. J. Abrams, Jordan Peele, actress Emily Blunt, all with fond memories of seeing the film long before they become involved with the film industry. Those are the expected obvious parts yet it's pretty good to watch them all.

The difference from similar specials were the fascinating and lovely interviews with oceanographers, as the film presented a good view of their world and "Jaws" end up having a dual legacy about it - the ones favoring the protection of sharks and others wanting to become hunters like Quint; and the bits with the locals from the filming location who had small or extra roles in the picture, and how the film became an important part of their lives and the town too; and some curious info on writer Peter Benchley (who wrote the novel) shared by his family - the anedocte about Fidel Castro being a fan of the book as a metaphor for Capitalism and its problems was hilarious to hear.

It's a near perfect documentary that covers everything you need to know about "Jaws", its making and the everlasting experience it caused on many audiences. I believe that an extra half-hour was needed to show Spielberg's career and power afterwards - just to refresh some memories out there - and the big influence sparkled within the film industry, good and bad, and along with "Star Wars" that's the scenery we're into it when it comes to blockbusters and upcoming releases and the desperate need for bigger, better, faster and more of the same films which sometimes come with a compromised result. "Jaws" is a different case though. It was never a matter of luck, it was pure talent, hard work and the best people and the best intentions put together with an excellent result. Here's to another 50 years! 9/10.

As "Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story" (2025 release; 88 min.) opens, the movie is opening in US theaters and immediately the lines to get in are never-ending. Spielberg comments: "I thought it would be the end of my career!". It's not long before other talking heads are gushing about Jaws, including James Cameron, Quinten Tarantino, Jordan Peele, Cameron Crowe, J. J. Abrams, and others. At this point we are 10 minutes into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this is directed by Lauren Bouzereau ("Faye"). He gets the full cooperation of Spielberg and others involved in the making of Jaws. Most notably, a number of the Martha's Vineyard locals that were in the movie reflect on it (including several of the then-kid actors). Most insightful for me is the part that deal with the building of the 3 sharks used in the film, and how all of that operated (or better: "didn't operate 80% of the time", per Spielberg). All of it is super enjoyable and the documentary flies by in no time. As an aide, I grew up in Belgium and I had just turned 15 when I saw Jaws with my parents at a (sold out) movie theater in Brussels. I still remember it like it was yesterday. A collective movie viewing experience unlike any other in my entire life. Unforgettable.

"Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story" started streaming a few days ago. I caught it on Hulu just last night. This documentary is currently rated 100% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Whether you lived through the summer of 1975 and saw it then, or you saw it at some point later, I'd readily suggest you check out this documentary, and draw your own conclusion.