by Paul Costello
Paul takes us through the greatest movie monologues;
Jaws. With just one film, Steven Spielberg launched the summer blockbuster and scared the merry hell out of anyone who was planning to go for a swim in the ocean for a good long while. And it was only his second theatrical feature, too. Though infamous as a very troubled production, it’s a classic film littered with superb moments and great scenes. But for me, none of them beat the iconic story of the USS Indianapolis as delivered by mean old sea captain Quint, played by the mighty Robert Shaw.
Paul takes us through the greatest movie monologues;
Jaws. With just one film, Steven Spielberg launched the summer blockbuster and scared the merry hell out of anyone who was planning to go for a swim in the ocean for a good long while. And it was only his second theatrical feature, too. Though infamous as a very troubled production, it’s a classic film littered with superb moments and great scenes. But for me, none of them beat the iconic story of the USS Indianapolis as delivered by mean old sea captain Quint, played by the mighty Robert Shaw.
Now, this scene may not have existed as it is for a few reasons. Firstly, Shaw wasn’t Spielberg’s first choice for the role of Quint. In fact, he wasn’t even second choice. What’s more, during the filming of Jaws, Shaw proved to be a belligerent old crank, rubbing everyone up the wrong way for much of the shoot, especially Richard Dreyfuss (watch how the scenes between the two of them bristle with genuine animosity). Even the final speech itself was subject to all sorts of arguments as to who should write it, how it should be told, etc. Ultimately, it came down to Shaw rewriting a speech already written and presenting it to the screenwriters, who both agreed he got it right.
And by God, did he get it right. Historical accuracy be damned, Quint’s grisly tale of being one of the lucky ones to survive shark attacks on the crew of the ill-fated USS Indianapolis is an incredible piece of writing, and acting. Up until then, Quint has been a fierce and unbreakable presence, almost as much a force of fiery will on the Orca as the shark is underneath it. But with this scene, everything snaps into place, and he gives us a glimpse into his past, his story of survival being one that would maybe have destroyed lesser men. However, Quint remains irreparably changed by what he experienced and what he saw. He admits to feeling fear, something that we probably couldn’t have pictured him feeling only minutes ago. Just watch how Shaw shamefully covers the scar with his hand after Dreyfuss’s “mother” joke; the hideous detail of the shark’s black "doll's eyes” and that painful almost grin on his face as he tells the story.
Goosebumps. Absolute goosebumps.
Setting the scene:
Night has come over the Orca, and the three man crew of Brody, Hooper and Quint have retired to the cabin, taking a break from their shark-hunting. Their enemy hasn’t been seen for a while, and so they feel easy enough to share a drink and a joke with each other. Hooper and Quint wind up in a game of one-upmanship over their respective injuries and scars, when Brody asks about a particular scar on Quint’s arm…
Goosebumps. Absolute goosebumps.
Setting the scene:
Night has come over the Orca, and the three man crew of Brody, Hooper and Quint have retired to the cabin, taking a break from their shark-hunting. Their enemy hasn’t been seen for a while, and so they feel easy enough to share a drink and a joke with each other. Hooper and Quint wind up in a game of one-upmanship over their respective injuries and scars, when Brody asks about a particular scar on Quint’s arm…
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