CLASSIC MOVIE SCENES #11 – JAWS (1975) – QUINT’S U.S.S. INDIANAPOLIS SPEECH

Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Produced by: Richard D. Zanuck, David Brown

Written by: Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb, Howard Sackler (uncredited)

Based on the novel by Peter Benchley

Main cast: Roy Schieder, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary

**CONTAINS SPOILERS**

---

---

I have genuinely lost count the amount of times I have watched Jaws (1975). It is one of my favourite films and has one of the tightest written screenplays of all time. There is not an ounce of fat in the lean human versus monster thriller. The story as everyone knows finds a gigantic great white shark attacking beachgoers, tourists and locals at a New England summer resort town. Sheriff Martin Brody (Roy Schieder) is tasked with stopping the shark, but due to pressure from business owners and the Mayor he cannot close the beaches.

Spielberg, in only his second feature film cinema release, directed this classic thriller amazingly, filling it with a series of gripping set-pieces, fearful jump-scares and bloody carnage. He’s ably assisted by John Williams iconic score, Bill Butler’s impeccable cinematography, and sterling character acting from Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Schieder. However, amidst the suspense and heart-pounding scenes, arguably the best moment of the film is Quint’s speech that related to his experiences on the U.S.S Indianapolis.

The monologue itself comes as Quint and Hooper share “war stories” from their past experiences at sea. The men share a laugh before Brody asks Quint about a particularly nasty scar. Then the mood darkens and the old sea dog recounts a story about the U.S.S Indianapolis on which he was aboard when it sank in 1945. The chilling tale of a sinking ship and over one thousand men at the mercy of the sea, hunger, dehydration and shark attacks, is eerily recounted by Quint; loss and bitterness in his eyes. Shaw is incredible during this classic monologue as he not only establishes why Quint hates sharks, but also builds palpable suspense prior to the frenzied final shark attack on the doomed Orca.

Lastly, many writers have sought to take credit for the amazing monologue and the debate is almost as famous as the scene itself. An excellent article outlining who wrote the speech can be found here.

---

---