Williams supported this by . During the famous "Chrissie’s death" scene, we hear the bass playing the motif as she is dragged underwater—but once she’s gone? Silence. During the pier scene with little Alex Kintner, the motif plays aggressively... then cuts to dead air.
So the next time you’re swimming in the ocean and your brain plays dun-dun... dun-dun , don’t be afraid. Just tip your hat to John Williams. He knew exactly what he was doing. Jaws OST -1975- John Williams - Steven Spielberg
Spielberg later admitted: "Without John Williams, Jaws would be half the film it is. He reminded me that music is 50% of the moviegoing experience." What makes those two notes (E and F) so effective? It’s a technique called a minor second interval —the closest two notes can be on a Western scale. It’s naturally dissonant, creating a sense of unease. Williams supported this by
When Williams first played the two-note motif for Spielberg on a piano, the director laughed. "That’s a joke, right?" Spielberg asked. Williams explained: "The motif represents the shark—primitive, instinctual, unstoppable. It starts slow, like a distant threat, and speeds up as the shark attacks." During the pier scene with little Alex Kintner,
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