Jaws at 50: the Jewish sensibility that shaped Spielberg’s blockbuster and transformed cinema

By Nathan Abrams, Professor of Film Studies, Bangor University

It’s hard to believe Steven Spielberg was just 27 when he directed Jaws. Before that he’d mostly worked in television, helming episodes of detective show Columbo and the acclaimed TV movie Duel. He’d made just one theatrical feature, The Sugarland Express.

Then came Jaws, a technically ambitious shoot set on open water with a mechanical shark that barely worked. But the result was a record-breaking blockbuster that redefined what…

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