The Methods Stephen Spielberg Uses to Create Suspense in His Movie Jaws

Since its inception in 1975, Stephen Spielberg’s film, Jaws, has instilled in many a fear of the depths of the aquatic world. Over 40 years later, Jaws continues to captivate audiences throughout the world. How is it that Spielberg’s work is so renowned? This largely has to do with his impeccable attention to detail. Indeed, Spielberg’s use of various types of camera shots, camera angles and effects allows for a constant element of suspense. It is these tactics that makes Jaws a movie few can forget.

From the very beginning, Spielberg introduces his first method of creating suspense. This scene begins as Chrissie gallantly runs along the sand, gleefully approaching the water with a young, drunken man she seems to have just met. Chrissie gets into the water first, while the young man tumbles in the sand. At this point, Spielberg effectively introduces the worms eye view in the film. A worm’s eye view is done when something or someone is presented as though they are being viewed from below. In the context of this scene, Chrissie was seen swimming peacefully through the water, as the camera view changed to around six feet under Chrissie's legs underwater.

Slowly, the camera began moving closer to Chrissie’s legs. This intentional strategy foreshadows to the viewers that something unusual is going to happen, thereby creating suspense. As the camera inches closer to the target, it becomes clear that the worm’s eye view is more than just a worm’s eye view - it is a shark’s eye view. It is almost as though the camera frame is a timer for the next event: the closer the camera, the sooner the imminent doom. At this point, the viewers know something is coming, but do not know what.

The suspense is augmented by the purposeful incorporation of various mise-en-scene elements, including dimmed lighting and location. In Chrissie’s shark attack scene, dimmed lighting is used extensively, whereby large portions of the shot are blacked out while the rest of the shot is brightened up by the sun or moon. Indeed, the lighting is very strange but effectively creates a sense of eeriness. This, too, is used to create suspense by instilling within the viewers a sense of impending doom. If everything looked bright with an array of positive colors and lighting, one would not expect an imminent shark attack, thereby inhibiting any suspense. Thus, the dimness of this scene is crucial in the suspense buildup.

The other mise-en-scene used in this scene was location. Putting this scene in the ocean made it easier for viewers to expect when something might happen, mostly because the ocean is a world of unknowns, a world many fear. For example, most of the film is shot around or in the ocean. It plays an important role as a scene setter, as the ocean itself is often considered dangerous and isolated. Throughout the film, the ocean becomes inseparable from the shark, such that when something involves the ocean, it builds suspense because the viewer knows it is most likely related to the shark and something is going to happen. In my opinion, the combination of the worm’s eye view and the dim lighting and ocean setting work coherently to give Jaws the suspense it is notorious for. Had any of these elements been missing, so too would the suspense.

Another notable scene where Spielberg deliberately creates suspense is when Hooper goes shark cage diving in an attempt to stab the shark and inject it with toxins. As the cage is meticulously lowered into the water, Hooper adjusts his goggles and turns around. At this point, music begins to play. Hooper sees the shark in the distance. As he sees it getting closer and closer, the music gets progressively louder. The music is riddled with low notes and a fast tempo, almost like a beating heart responding to a stressful event.

This alone is very suspenseful, but when combined with the approaching shark, it becomes even more suspenseful. The shark then disappears in the distance, and the music stops as eerie silence occupies the scene. Suddenly, the shark approaches the cage from behind, at which point a loud, screeching note precedes the replaying of the music. This time, however, the notes are high-pitched but retain their fast tempo. This screeching sound is a shock factor as it ruptures the silence.

As the shark attacks the cage, we see third person swapping between the shark and Hooper and occasional shots around the cage as well. This shows the position/standing of each character in the scene. These different views - beyond giving the viewer a better view of the carnage - also augments suspense as it shows isolated, open waters behind an enormous creature. Indeed, it is these different views that help demonstrate the shark’s sheer size.

The mise-en-scene used in this scene include depth of space and lighting. The depth of space was shown through how close or far the shark was in attacking. For instance, when the shark had almost broken through the cage and reached further and further into the cage with every bite, the shark was getting closer and closer (from Hooper’s view), increasing the suspense. In addition, the lighting in this scene creates an eerie mood before and during the attack. In general, the lighting was very gloomy and dark. It essentially sets up the suspense, as the darkness implies something looming and imminent about to happen (which it does).

This circles back to the notion of the unknown. We as humans naturally fear darkness as we rely so heavily on our ability to see, so setting up the lighting in a way that is naturally fearful to humans will naturally build suspense. Between the music, lighting, and depth of view, Spielberg does an impeccable job at introducing suspense into the scene using elements that viewers do not always recognize.

It is an art to be able to captivate audiences in such a way, but Spielberg does so consistently. It is no surprise that Jaws is one of those movies that have caused sharks to be characterized and aggressive, blood-thirsty animals, which could not be further from their true, tame nature.