10 Things You Didn't Know About Jaws

9. Peter Benchley was Kicked Off Set For Protesting About The Ending

Films based on novels often have a tricky task of either faithfully adapting every chapter, or creating their very own narrative. Often it€™s the ending of a book which will be dramatically altered, as something that€™s exciting on the page might not translate as well to the big-screen. When the Coen Brothers adapted Cormac McCarthy€™s No Country for Old Men, they refused to change the anti-climatic ending for something more cinematic €“ a move which delighted some audiences, but infuriated far more. When it comes to Jaws, the original novel ended with a downbeat sequence which tipped its hat to the classic story of Moby Dick. With Hooper killed by the shark and Quint having been drowned after becoming caught on a rope, Brody is left helpless in the water as the shark circles him. As the shark moves in for the kill, it suddenly dies from blood loss and exhaustion. Spielberg found the ending too anti-climatic and instead decided to give the audience something which would have them on the edge of their seats. Annoyed and frustrated over the changes, Benchley repeatedly protested and was eventually thrown off the set. Despite their differences in opinion, Benchley later conceded that Spielberg was absolutely correct.
Contributor
Contributor

Cult horror enthusiast and obsessive videogame fanatic. Stephen considers Jaws to be the single greatest film of all-time and is still pining over the demise of Sega's Dreamcast. As well regularly writing articles for WhatCulture, Stephen also contributes reviews and features to Ginx TV.