Bring on the tough stuff. There’s not just one right answer.
- Let's talk camera angles: Is there really any difference for the audience between looking down at a swimmer from above and looking up at a swimmer from below?
- How does the film use music to warn, soothe, surprise, and generally freak out the audience? Try to think more deeply than just "dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun = shark!"
- Which is more dangerous: the shark or Mayor Vaughn?
- The shark kills one dog (rest in peace, Pippet) and five people: Chrissie Watkins, Alex Kintner, Ben Gardner, Pond Guy, and Quint. Is this just a random buffet, or do the shark's victims tell us something about the overall meaning of the movie?
- In your opinion, does the movie seem to portray the shark more as a real animal or a mythical creature?
- Quint dies while Brody and Hooper survive. Is the movie saying something by ending things that way?
- How does Brody develop as a character during the film?
- Do you think the shark is a symbol? If yes, of what? If no, why not?
- If you had to put together a one-hour high school play of Jaws, which scenes would you include and why?
- Was the film's original PG rating what you would have chosen?
- What do you think about the title Claws for a film about killer lobsters on Amity Island? Should Shmoop pitch it to Spielberg?