How Steven Spielberg’s Jaws Belongs to the Rare Ocean-Western Genre Inspired by John Ford

In this insightful essay, writer-director Atul Sabharwal revisits Steven Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster Jaws on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. While commonly labelled as a monster movie or horror film, Sabharwal argues that Jaws truly belongs to a unique and rare genre which he calls the Ocean-Western. This genre draws spiritual and stylistic inspiration from the classic Westerns of John Ford, especially in its portrayal of man’s confrontation with a hostile landscape. The vast ocean in Jaws replaces the rugged frontier of the American West, turning into a perilous territory that the protagonist, Police Chief Martin Brody, must face. Key scenes, such as Brody staring at the empty ocean after a shark attack or the famous Indianapolis monologue on the boat Orca, echo the poetic imagery, male camaraderie, banter, and sheriff-like duty found in Ford’s films like The Searchers. Sabharwal connects this to Spielberg’s own reverence for Ford, highlighted in The Fabelmans, and notes how Jaws features elements like family, community protection, and silence that are hallmarks of Western storytelling. The essay also touches upon personal anecdotes, including the author’s grandfather’s frontier stories from British India and his first big-screen experiences with Spielberg’s films in India. A restored director’s cut of Jaws is scheduled for screening in Mumbai on April 2, offering audiences a chance to experience the film as intended. Overall, the piece celebrates Jaws not just as a technical achievement but as a subtle tribute to the ethos of the Western genre, making it the sole exhibit of this accidental Ocean-Western category.