The stories about the making of Jaws are arguably almost as iconic as the movie itself. The production of the movie that is called the “first summer blockbuster” was an absolute nightmare to film by all accounts. However, it seems that director Steven Spielberg actually had literal nightmares after making the film due to what was, for him, a truly traumatic experience.
In the new NatGeo documentary Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, available July 10 with a Hulu or Disney+ subscription, Steven Spielberg talks about the experience of directing the eponymous flick, a movie that went significantly over budget and over schedule. The director had an incredibly difficult time getting everything to work during the shoot at Martha’s Vineyard, but it was only after filming wrapped that Spielberg really began to have a hard time. He said…
When the film wrapped Martha's Vineyard, I had a full-blown panic attack. I couldn't breathe, I thought I was having a heart attack. I couldn't get a full breath of air. I kept going to the bathroom and splashing water on my face. I was shaking.
By all accounts, while Spielberg may have been internally panicking during the entire location shoot, he was able to keep himself together. He did a remarkable job in figuring out how to contend with various issues. That includes everything that went wrong with the frequently broken mechanical shark. As crazy as production was, it's wild to think that it wasn't until after the shoot that he apparently really had difficulties.
It sounds like he simply let himself go, given that he was at a point where he could lose it a bit without causing problems for the rest of the crew. The Oscar winner says he felt responsible for the shoot being so much longer than it was supposed to be, keeping the crew on location so long. Spielberg continued…
It was everything that I had experienced on the island, trying to not only hold myself together, but hold the crew together… I felt really responsible for keeping them there for as long as we had to stay.
Following Steven Spielberg’s minor breakdown, production on Jaws actually lasted another couple of months after the crew left Martha’s Vineyard. Work was done in a water tank at MGM, and various other pickup shots being done anywhere they could do it, including in the swimming pool of the film’s editor.
The 1975 movie would go on to become the highest-grossing movie ever made at that point, and a massive cultural moment. However, it seems that the film’s success did not entirely vindicate Steven Spielberg in his own mind. He says he would continue to have actual nightmares for years afterward, as if he were still directing the movie. He said…
I had a real tough time when I finished the movie, and the success was fantastic, but it didn’t stop the nightmares. It didn’t stop me waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, where the sheets would be soaking wet. We didn't have the words 'PTSD' in those days, and I had consistent nightmares about directing Jaws for years afterwards. I was still on the movie, and the film was never-ending.
Of course, Steven Spielberg's filmography speaks for itself, and he would go on to direct some of the most popular and most successful movies ever made. Jaws truly launched his career, but he certainly worked hard, and suffered significantly to get there. I'm not sure if Spielberg is among te the 50th anniversary of the release of his shark-centric thriller film. However, as a fan, I truly believe Spielberg should be proud of what he and his cohorts accomplished all those years ago.
Fans can check out Jaws for themselves by streaming it with a Peacock subscription.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
