We can say with certainty that Jaws has inspired many great movies in the 50 years since Steven Spielberg first made the water terrifying. The latest film to draw from the chaotic events on Amity Island is Barbie, which also takes place in an idyllic wonderland, albeit one plagued by patriarchy rather than a man-eating fish.
In particular, Jaws and Barbie collided for a particular deleted scene involving Allan – the character played by Michael Cera in Barbie Land. After all, when you’re making one of the biggest new movies of the year, you can do a lot worse than nodding to perhaps the most famous moment from one of the best movies ever made.
Barbie cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto told Variety that the gag had director Greta Gerwig in fits of laughter on set, but sadly it didn’t make the finished cut. We have our fingers crossed that it will see the light of day eventually. It sounds like a hilarious moment.
Prieto said: “[Allan is] terrified [when] Ken hits a wave and then flies in the air. There’s a moment where the police officer sees someone being eaten in the water. The camera does this push-in, it’s a move where you use a zoom and you’re dialing into the character while zooming back at the same time. The effect is that the background changes — the shot, and his performance, [were] very dramatic.”
Of course, the technique Prieto is referring to has become widely known as “the dolly zoom”.
It’s most closely associated with two amazing movies: Jaws, of course, and Alfred Hitchcock’s classic Vertigo. Martin Scorsese has also made extensive use of the dolly zoom, while movies such as Shaun of the Dead have used it as a sight gag and direct homage to Jaws.
A well-deployed dolly zoom can really amp up the drama and tension of a scene and it can also work as a brilliant comedic shorthand for melodramatic shock. Like so many of the best cinematic techniques, it’s a delightfully versatile tool in a filmmaker’s arsenal.
Meanwhile, there’s a new version of Barbie on the way and we’re very excited about it. You can also check out our Barbie review and learn some surprising things you didn’t know about Barbie. Elsewhere, find out where Jaws ranks among the best Steven Spielberg movies and learn why Alfred Hitchcock refused to meet Spielberg.