Today, without the ominous "dan-dan-dan" it is difficult to imagine not only the movie Jaws, but also the entire genre of horror films with megalodons. This ostinato on two notes is one of the most recognizable soundtracks in the history of cinema.
But surprisingly, when John Williams first played this theme to director Steven Spielberg, he... laughed. And he was sure that the composer was just making fun of him.
What did Spielberg say about the iconic tune?
"I was expecting to hear something strange and melodic, something tonal but eerie; something from another world, almost like space under water," Spielberg said in the DVD supplement to the film.
But instead of a complex melody, the composer was seriously tapping on a pair of keys, which made the director indignant. He hated the melody, it seemed like a mockery, but Williams was quite serious. He continued to play his theme over and over again, and suddenly, something clicked in the master's head.
One step from hate to love
Spielberg realized that this was the sound. The sound of impending disaster, which will alarm viewers even before the shark appears in the frame. And, as the director himself later admitted, it was music that provided half of the success of Jaws.
Williams himself explained that the main thing in this topic is variability.
"There were opportunities to show the shark through music. There are also options not to turn on music. Then the audience feels calm because they don't hear the "dang-dang", because you have accustomed them to it."
This is how the scariest scenes were made — for example, when a shark attacks the Orca ship. There was no music playing in front of her, and this helped to increase her fright. It's funny: now the music from Jaws is considered canonical, Williams has an Oscar for it, and Spielberg has a cult status. But it all started with the fact that one of the greatest directors in the world genuinely couldn't stand this tune.
