Abstract

The profitability of Jaws and its director’s subsequent output became, for many, both symbols and causes of an alleged decline from 1970s New American Cinema into blockbuster-driven populism. Spielberg is frequently blamed for terminating the Nixon era’s radical, questioning ‘New Hollywood’; Jaws, one influential commentator claims, ‘changed the business forever’. Critics recognize Jaws’ importance, but typically as a case study in manipulation or as a key ‘high concept film’ that simplistically ‘reflected’ contemporaneous politics, current affairs, and social change. Yet Jaws is now widely acclaimed as a masterpiece and has maintained popularity and international commercial appeal. Its status transcends allegorical reading as a manifestation of American post-Vietnam War unrest or accusations that audiences were duped by advertising and mindlessly followed herd instincts. This chapter traces the evolution of taste judgements and interpretations in the critical response to Jaws. Surveying press reviews alongside readings within the politicized world of Film Studies confirms that emergent middlebrow and Establishment consensus over Spielberg as a quality filmmaker has contrasted, until only recently, with academic denigration of both the film and its director.