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THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE WATER: JAWS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

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Date Issued:
2023
Abstract/Description:
This thesis presents an analysis of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws and the film’s depiction of nature. This analysis will show that the film derives horror from the depiction of nature encroaching on human spaces. Through the film’s depictions of shark attacks, it forces viewers to confront their own edibility. The filmmaking techniques place humans on the other side of the eater/eaten binary, and present humans a prey. Similarly, the depictions of environments show the presence of nature as a disruption to the film’s established visual style. This thesis asserts film analysis as a necessary tool in understanding the nature/culture binary and how film narratives can contribute to this division.
Title: THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE WATER: JAWS AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
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Name(s): Carr, William, author
Charbonneau, Stephen , Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2023
Date Issued: 2023
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 67 p.
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: This thesis presents an analysis of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws and the film’s depiction of nature. This analysis will show that the film derives horror from the depiction of nature encroaching on human spaces. Through the film’s depictions of shark attacks, it forces viewers to confront their own edibility. The filmmaking techniques place humans on the other side of the eater/eaten binary, and present humans a prey. Similarly, the depictions of environments show the presence of nature as a disruption to the film’s established visual style. This thesis asserts film analysis as a necessary tool in understanding the nature/culture binary and how film narratives can contribute to this division.
Identifier: FA00014175 (IID)
Degree granted: Thesis (MA)--Florida Atlantic University, 2023.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Nature in motion pictures
Motion pictures--Study and teaching
Media studies
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014175
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.