Hollywood and Marketing: Understanding the Appeal of Jaws Essay

The success of Jaws may mainly be attributed to the interconnected presence of various genres and themes throughout the film, hence significantly increasing the range of its prospective audience. For one, aside from being basically a thriller, the presence of an enormous shark as a dangerous entity would of course highlight themes on nature similar to documentaries. Furthermore, there is the crime genre, encompassing the theme of conspiracy, is partly embodied by the film as well; to explain, the Mayor who governs over the beach disregards every warning about the safety of the people in a straightforward manner, mainly pointing out economic reasons in defense of such a stance. Action is also present and evident throughout the film, especially during its final scenes. While still incomparable to films which are actually categorized under the action genre in terms of fights and explosions, it could definitely be argued that the final scene wherein the three main protagonists battle the shark which ends with the shark’s demise initiates a similar adrenaline rush for the viewers. In relation to such points, it is also important to emphasize the fact that the film is actually Hollywood’s adaptation of a highly successful book of the same name. Achieving a considerable appeal to the mainstream audience as well as to different types of viewers ensures success in terms of marketability (Wyatt 22). Jaws has such appeal, as the presence of the abovementioned themes and genres prove. For one, those interested with nature would be enthralled by the thought of watching a film focused on a great white shark. Also, self-proclaimed critics on the realism of such films would watch the movie to give their comments. On a more specific note, mature audiences would in turn be attracted to the film as it would satisfy their need for identifying deeper aspects and meanings such as corruption. Younger moviegoers would instead appreciate the thrilling and action packed sequences in the movie. Indeed, as old wizards may be shown in a manner resembling classical comic book heroes to achieve a better appeal to such viewers (Thompson 51), the three main protagonists of Jaws have similarly been presented due to their antics in the last few scenes of the film. Those who have read the book, possibly being a considerably large crowd, would predictably watch the movie as well. Without a doubt, Jaws achieved a universal appeal among moviegoers which ensured its marketability and success. Works Cited Spielberg, Steven, dir. Jaws. Zanuck/Brown Productions, 1975. Film. Wyatt, Justin. High Concept: Movies and Marketing in Hollywood. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1994. Print. Thompson, Kristin. â€Å"Fantasy, Franchises, and Frodo Baggins: The Lord of the Rings and Modern Hollywood. † Velvet Light Trap: A Critical Journal of Film and Television 52 (2003): 45 – 63. Print.