“Jaws,” one of the most movie-ish movies to ever exist, turned 50 this year. I’m from Central Florida (theme park hell) so I heard all about the anniversary throughout the summer: mugs, popcorn buckets, photo-ops, novelty drinks, and so on.
Here in Rochester, I had the pleasure of watching “Jaws in Concert” Nov. 7 at the West Herr Auditorium Theatre. The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra played the score of the film live, while the movie itself was projected above the musicians. It was a beautiful performance and an affectionate tribute to such a famous film.
I’ve always thought it fun to see a classic back in theaters, but there’s something more intimate about watching a movie be not just replayed, but also re-performed by another generation of musicians. How much of this orchestra watched “Jaws” as kids? How many weren’t even alive when it came out?
For a movie as famous as “Jaws,” there’s an inherent nostalgia circulating its very existence. As I entered, I noticed a few people in the sea of attendees wearing shirts referencing the movie or its iconic poster. Even the conductor, walking out onto the stage to begin the performance, turned to show the audience the “Jaws” shirt underneath a blazer.
I regret to say that until this past Friday I only really thought of “Jaws” as “Jurassic Park”-Without-the-Whimsy (i.e. dinosaurs and Jell-O). In fact, I don’t actually remember watching “Jaws” as a kid, but I’ve been told I did, and I still felt that collective sort of sentimentality for the film rewatching it. “Jaws” was a blockbuster for a reason: It’s funny, suspenseful, and tightly written.
The live music very much added to the tension. I could see the musicians sit up and lift their instruments when something was about to happen — such as seeing the strings prepare their bows as the screen portrayed a shot of flailing legs underwater. The “Jaws” theme really sets a pulse for the movie, especially during the film’s opening and in the underwater shots that follow. After the movie ended, the orchestra continued playing during the credits, and it was pleasant to hear the musicians on their own.
Experiencing the music played live also externalized how much work goes into making a movie — something I usually don’t think much on. The score is just one element of the film and reproducing it live took dozens of people who’d been training with the same instrument for (presumably) most of their lives. It was delightful seeing the harpist or hearing a single woodwind during some very tense moments. Since I was already pretty familiar with the story of “Jaws” I didn’t think it distracted from the events on screen (though it might’ve with a movie that had a more complex or less iconic plot).
It was a strange sort of juxtaposition seeing a very dressed-down sort of movie presented in the large, posh West Herr Auditorium Theatre. Amity Island is not a button-up sort of place, so seeing the sand and sun and water and cheesy ’70s gore was irreverent when viewed in a comparatively fancy setting. Despite the strangeness of competing settings, it enhanced the show. It can be a little intimidating to attend a classical music performance; attending a movie-in-concert event made it feel more approachable.
Overall, it was a great experience, and a novel way to experience a classic film. I just wished they played the Lemon Demon song “Jaws.”
