Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Legendary composer John Williams and filmmaker Steven Spielberg once collaborated to create a masterpiece,Jaws. The 1975 thriller was a big blockbuster hit of its time, and its credit goes to Williams. His contribution added a creative edge to the film that significantly enhanced its impact.
Since the premise of the film is of a suspenseful nature, the inclusion of accurate background sound was necessary. When Spielberg showed Williams an early cut of the film, he realized that the film requires a good film score to engage the audience, or else viewers might confuse it to be a comedy film, just like he initially did.
John Williams confused Steven Spielberg’s thriller movie with a comedy film
Steven Spielberg‘s contribution to the film industry is indeed commendable. Throughout his directorial journey, the filmmaker has worked across a wide range of genres and has made some iconic films. One of them is the 1995 thriller filmJaws. The film is undoubtedly a masterpiece, and the background score in the film plays a significant part in making it a success.
The man behind the iconic theme inJawsis John Williams. The composer has written many themes in the history of cinema, and he has made a major contribution to making Spielberg’s movie a blockbuster hit.
Also Read:“I didn’t know the character”: Before Kate Winslet, Steven Spielberg Regretted Not Directing Tom Hanks’ Controversial $206M Movie With Denzel Washington
Spielberg revealed in his memoirSpielberg: The First Ten Yearsthat he was quite content with his work until he got Wiliams’s opinion on it. The director claimed,
“It was a bit of an experimental score, but I thought it was very disturbing, and I thought the shark should be disturbing. But when John saw the movie with that score in, he called me laughing.”
When Williams saw the first cut of the film, he initially thought it was a comedy due to the lack of tension. That is when Williams decided to give the film his touch so that it gets its final layer of suspense.
Also Read:“I had been playing with fire”: Steven Spielberg Risked Everything for His $322M Movie That Took 10 Years That Included Rejecting Close Friend Harrison Ford
How did John Williams’ contribution save Steven Spielberg’s film?
The famous“Dun dun, dun dun, dun, dun, dun…’”theme increases the heartbeat of the viewers because that’s when exactly they know that the shark is approaching. That’s the magic of Williams’ score that can make the audience travel from one realm to the next. And it was very evident in the filmJaws. However, initially, when Spielberg heard this tune, he wasn’t convinced, but later, when he heard it again, he was more than impressed. The director said,
“Six weeks later, he played for me on the piano the main Jaws theme – I expected to hear something weird and melodic, tonal but eerie – perhaps something to suggest the shark underwater. And what he played me instead with two fingers on the lower keys was ‘Dun dun, dun dun, dun, dun, dun…I thought he was putting me on. It seemed too simple. He said, ‘That’s the theme for Jaws!’ I asked him to play it again, and it suddenly seemed right. Sometimes the best ideas are the simple ones, and John had found the signature for the whole movie.”
If Spielberg’s movie is the main body, Willaims score gave it a soul. The score created by him undoubtedly evokes tension, fear, and excitement among the viewers, making it a massive hit both critically and commercially.
Also Read:“I got it from a tombstone in Ireland!”: Steven Spielberg Was Horrified After Jaws Actor Almost Got Him Sued While Filming the $476.5M Epic
Source:The Digital Fix
Sonali VERMA
Articles Published :343
Sonali is the sensational entertainment writer who serves up the juiciest celebrity insights and pop culture revelations with a tantalizing spice that keeps readers coming back for more.
