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The Indianapolis scene is arguably the most powerful moment in the entirety of Jaws – a masterful piece of writing, acting and filmmaking that achieves multiple objectives in the span of roughly four minutes. This was Robert Shaw’s moment to shine – and the actor was more than up to the task.

That being said, the scene accomplishes even more than just showcasing Shaw’s formidable acting chops (it’s interesting to note that it showcased Shaw’s foibles as well – he tried to do the first take while legitimately drunk and the footage was unusable. He apologized the next day, asked to try it again, and nailed it) – it pulls extra duty in that it reveals not only something integral about Quint’s character (and allows the audience to identify with the character in a completely new light), but Brody and Hooper as well, while upping the emotional stakes for all involved and changing the antagonistic relationship between Quint and Hooper. Pretty impressive for a single sequence.