10 Opening Movie Scenes Which Immediately Stunned Audiences
4. Jaws - Chrissie Goes Skinny Dipping
Before 1975, the thought of going for a midnight dip in the ocean didn't really instil fear into the average human being.
That was before Steven Spielberg horrified an entire generation with the first ever summer blockbuster and an opening scene which still sends shivers down your spine today.
The director begins Jaws with an eerie title sequence underwater, but then quickly snaps us into a pleasant campfire setting where young adults are partying on a beach. All seems well as we then follow Chrissie (Susan Backlinie) inviting a young man to join her for a late night swim in the sea. Yet, this youthful excitement is suddenly replaced with agonising suspense once John Williams' iconic score is introduced and we see something slowly heading towards Chrissie from below.
The sight of the young woman being repeatedly tugged under the water as she screams for help definitely resonated with audiences all over the world and leant into a deep rooted insecurity about what lies beneath the surface of our vast oceans.
We may not have actually seen the terrifying great white shark in this chilling opening, but Chrissie's shocking submergence was enough to spook even the most stoic of audience members and is another example of how showing less can ultimately give you more.