Spielberg misunderstood a classic soundtrack.

John Williams played one of his most famous melodies on a piano with two fingers.

The iconic theme from Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (which you can watch on Filmin) probably comes to mind when you see the image above. Two minimalist, terrifying notes that dance around to represent the beast’s stalking of the night bather exactly reflect the shark’s obsessive mind that Spielberg has shown us in his terrifying subjective shots: it only thinks about one thing and has one goal.

John Williams, who wrote the soundtrack, also wrote the scores for ‘Indiana Jones’, ‘Jurassic Park’, and ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ with Spielberg. He composed music for ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Star Wars’, and ‘Superman’ (we also love the adorable ‘Home Alone’ theme).

When Jaws was less famous, he was rare. Instead of the spectacular fanfare that would make him famous, he showed his excellent pulse for creating tension, which he would combine with his other specialty, the sense of wonder when discovering new worlds, in Jurassic Park. For this reason, Jaws remains a strange work from his career before he developed a seal. Spielberg was surprised by the schematic composition.

“I thought it was a joke when Johnny played it for me on his piano at home,” Spielberg told Stephen Colbert in 2023. “He called and said, ‘I have the Jaws theme song. Listen on the piano! Johnny sat at the piano when I ran to his house. So excited about the performance, he picked up a couple of fingers—not all ten because he didn’t need them to play—and said, “Duh-duh… duh-duh!” It made me laugh!” Director’s reaction was confirmed by John Williams: He said, ‘You can’t be serious.'” I suggested jealousy and bass in the orchestra.”

Strangely, the soundtrack was used to compensate for a filming issue: the mechanical shark was being repaired in the opening sequences, so the music helped viewers imagine the monster. Spielberg says, “The shark wasn’t on time because it was constantly being repaired, but Johnny saved the film by playing the shark, and the music replaced it. That made it scarier and more suspenseful than if the shark worked perfectly.”

It seemed like a joke, with Will Smith pretending to slap Chris Rock. My wife first noticed the slap and confirmed it. The Oscars proved her right by cutting audio for a few seconds while Smith yelled at Rock. We quickly checked the unedited feed online like many others. Everyone at the DC Film Society Oscars Party at Arlington Cinema N Drafthouse was stunned. Five years ago, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway announced that La La Land won Best Picture when it was Moonlight, causing chaos. That disaster was caused by a distracted accountant giving the presenters the wrong envelope. This time, intentional acts caused the meltdown.

It was shocking because Smith, a warm and likable celebrity for over 30 years, made the outburst. Consider the others who would have said, “Yeah I can see that” if you heard they hit someone at the Oscars. Frank Sinatra hosted and won an Oscar. Throughout his career, he started fights. Nick Nolte’s arrest record and demeanor could have made him a candidate. If you told me I had to bet everything on Sean Penn or Will Smith slapping someone at the Oscars, I’d be broke. Think of other Oscar scandals. Producers Peter Davis and Bert Schneider brought Viet Cong greetings in 1975. Vanessa Redgrave called “Zionist hoodlums” in her 1978 acceptance speech. No one was slapped. But Will Smith slapped Chris Rock for a G.I. Jane joke.

I admit that Chris Rock should not have made the joke if he knew Jada Pinkett Smith had alopecia. We don’t know if Rock knew. As mild as the joke was, audiences would have forgotten it in five minutes if nothing else happened. Jada Pinkett Smith resembled a strong heroine from a 25-year-old movie that has faded from culture. The joke did not justify Smith’s actions or those foolish people comparing Smith and Rock morally. Smith, who laughed at the joke, could have yelled. Better yet, he could have confronted Rock after the show and demanded he stop telling that joke. Verbal slights warrant verbal responses, not physical ones.

Why Team Oscar reacted so poorly to Smith’s actions is unclear. The producers wanted Smith to accept the Best Actor Oscar everyone knew was coming, according to many journalists and observers. That would have prioritized short-term gains over credibility. Smith deserved his Oscar for his skill and hard work before the slap (I disagree with those who want it revoked). Kevin Spacey and Roman Polanski still have Oscars, I checked). However, Smith did not deserve five minutes onstage to praise himself for protecting so many people. He deserved no comparison to Richard Williams, who, despite his flaws, did not do Smith’s job. The presenter could have read his name and accepted the award. You know who deserved attention? After the slap, Questlove won the Best Documentary Oscar for Summer of Soul minutes later. No one cared when Questlove gave a touching speech about music and family.

A few days later, the Academy claimed that Smith refused the producers’ request to leave. This is a more damning indictment if true. He was “asked to leave?” Just how did that go?

I was kicked out of a bar years ago for something not as violent. No one politely asked me to leave. A big man confronted me and told me to leave. Keeping Smith to celebrate his success smacks of Hollywood elitism, double standards, and hypocrisy. The damage is done. I don’t understand why the Academy is investigating the incident. Everyone witnessed. The “investigation” bides time for the Academy. We hope Academy leaders will stiffen their spines this time. Smith should be suspended for several years by the Academy. He should not attend the Oscars during that time, even if nominated. Any less would be the Academy prioritizing popularity over all else.

Interestingly, the slap diverted attention from the Oscar producers’ bad decisions. The acceptance speeches for eight craft categories were recorded before the live show and awkwardly added to the broadcast. Craftsmen and women were furious at this decision. The Oscars are the best chance for top performers to gain global attention, and it was greatly reduced. The guilds representing those eight categories strongly criticized and demanded reversal. Stars like Steven Spielberg, Guillermo Del Toro, and James Cameron did too. Oscar producers refused. They said ABC, the Oscars’ longtime network, ordered them to keep the show at three hours. Guess what? The show ran three hours and 39 minutes despite these changes. The Oscars angered many filmgoers for no reason.

The bigger issue is that the Academy set the wrong goals. The producers did everything they could to reach the most people, especially kids. I can imagine the production meeting where someone said, “These kids love Twitter. Set up a Twitter poll to mention unnominated fan favorites. They love Twitter, but they’ll watch the show to find out who won instead of voting on Twitter. No way this can fail!” As expected, fanboys and bots flooded the poll, making The Flash entering the speed force in Zack Snyder’s Justice League the most “Cheer-worthy” moment in film history and Army of the Dead the most popular film of 2021. This pointless Snyder mess got more airtime than some real winners.

Spielberg misunderstood a classic soundtrack.

John Williams played one of his most famous melodies on a piano with two fingers.

By nr39r

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