One of the bravest acts in the original Jaws doesn’t come from Chief Brody or Quint – it’s the unnamed boater who tries to save Brody’s son. There is little to say about this particular Steven Spielberg movie that hasn’t already been said. It’s a peerless exercise in suspense, it boasts amazing performances and became the first true summer blockbuster back in 1975; it also kicked off the Jaws movie franchise, which concluded with The Revenge. One element of the original that few pick up on is that it only has two acts, instead of the traditional three act structure.
The first act is on the land, and the second act takes Brody (Roy Scheider), Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and Quint (Robert Shaw) out to sea to hunt the Great White. It’s a very clean structure and comes with the added bonus of giving viewers a real feel for life on Amity Island itself. Spielberg does a fantastic job building up a picture of this тιԍнт-knit community and the impact the attacks are having on them. Now, it’s a movie where the main characters perform their share of brave acts, but the Estuary Victim (Ted Grossman) tends to go unsung.
The Bravest Act In Jaws Comes From A Completely Nameless Character
The “Estuary Victim” had a really bad day
After Mayor Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) decides not to close the beach despite being warned by Brody that the shark is still loose, it’s inevitable that somebody will get eaten before the Fourth of July is done. There are a few false alarms, but good old Bruce (AKA Jaws) eventually attacks in a lagoon, killing a man and sending Brody’s son Michael to hospital with shock after witnessing the aforementioned attack.
The estuary scene is one of Jaws‘ most underrated moments, as it contains the most terrifying image of the shark as it rises from below to devour its nameless victim; the sH๏τ of his severed leg floating to the botto leaves an impression too. The Estuary Victim doesn’t get much credit either, as he commits the most selfless act in the film when he rushes to help Michael and his friends after their boat is knocked over.
Sadly, he doesn’t get very far when the shark turns its jaws on him instead. It could be argued that trying to help the boys in the first place is what got him killed, with the Estuary Victim being a scoutmaster coming to check if they’re alright after the panic on the beach over the fake shark attack. The Estuary Victim was even braver in the original version of Jaws, where after he’s attacked, he resurfaces in the shark’s mouth.
Another deleted sH๏τ from Jaws saw the shark emerge from the water to attack Alex Kintner, but it was decided to delay showing the shark too early.
The shark then rushes towards a stunned Michael in this deleted scene, with the dying scoutmaster grabbing the boy in his arms, before pushing him out of the way as he’s pulled below again. Spielberg dropped this part of the scene as he felt it was too violent and in bad taste. Still, pictures and behind-the-scenes footage of this scene can be found online.
Jaws’ Unnamed Boater Perfectly Sums Up The Movie’s Core Themes
Pour one out for Jaws’ nameless hero
The poor Estuary Victim may not get a name, but he’s like a symbol of Amity itself. An outsider like Brody might be having a hard time fitting in with people who’ve known each other for decades, and they might be stubborn when it comes to keeping the beaches open, but there is still a genuine sense of community between them that Jaws conveys so effectively. There are many little moments of heroism spread throughout the film, but it’s this nameless man’s act that keeps a group of children safe during the lagoon attack.
His death also proved to Amity once and for all that the threat was real, and that they needed to hunt down the shark. Even the Mayor comes to accept that, even if it’s the very thing he had been trying to avoid throughout Jaws‘ first half. Speaking to how close the community really is, he’s still the Mayor when the sequel rolls around.
