Quentin Tarantino is certainly one of the most well-regarded filmmakers working today. He has always been outspoken about his opinion, and his deep knowledge of film history has made him an important figure in regard to film studies. His love for film is well known, and his opinion holds weight regarding the greatness of specific projects. On an episode of the ReelBlend podcast, the filmmaker revealed what he believes to be the greatest 'movie' of all time. It should be no surprise it comes from Steven Spielberg.
Update June 13, 2023: If you enjoy the work of Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, or both, you'll be happy to know this article was updated by Micah Bailey with additional context and more information.
The movie in question was, in fact, Jaws. Released in 1975, Jaws launched the career of the beloved director Steven Spielberg. The movie follows a ferocious shark who terrorizes the inhabitants of Amitity Island and has gone on to be one of the most iconic films of all time, receiving four Oscar nominations and winning three. Tarantino is a huge fan of the movie, calling it 'the greatest movie ever made.'
"I think Jaws is the greatest movie ever made. Maybe not the greatest film. But it's the greatest movie ever made. And then there are other movies that can get in its rarefied air. But as far as a movie, there's no making it better than Jaws. There's no 'better' than Jaws. It is the best movie ever made. And it shows how badly timed most movies made before Jaws were."
Clearly, Tarantino has a tremendous amount of admiration for the Steven Spielberg movie, which most directors would consider an honor. Yet Tarantino's comment regarding a film or a movie has certainly raised some questions. Most people would think the terms are synonyms of one another. While yes, they are, some do consider there to be a distinction.
Tarantino Clarifies What He Meant By the Greatest 'Movie,' Not 'Film'
Most people use 'movie' and 'film' interchangeably, but a cinephile like Tarantino believes they are two separate things. He claimed he meant no disrespect with the distinction but tells ReelBlend that Jaws is 'exactly the kind of movie he likes. This is exactly the kind of movie he was put on earth to make.' He expands upon the distinction below:
"What I meant by that, to one degree or another, is that Spielberg and a lot of his cohorts grew up seeing those kinds of movies in the theater. Henry Levin's Journey to the Center of the Earth, he's gonna run to go and see that. Richard Fleischer's Fantastic Voyage. He's going to run and go see it. Gordon Douglas's Them! He's going to run and go see. Now... most of them weren't directed that well. They were assignments given to journeyman directors who did their best with them. That was how we were used to seeing comic book — that kind of movie experience. As opposed to a Spielberg, who was like, 'No, this is exactly the kind of movie he likes. This is exactly the kind of movies he was put on Earth to make. And he's going to make it, within an inch of his life, as effective as it possibly can be. And, you know, Michael Anderson, isn't putting that kind of work in Logan's Run."
Tarantino definitely classifies 'movies' as big blockbuster projects, while 'films' are more likely to be accepting Best Picture at the Academy Awards. He clearly enjoys what both have to offer but categorizes them separately.
The Impact of Jaws
Released on June 20, 1975, Spielberg's thriller Jaws was both a critical and commercial success. Based on the Peter Benchley novel, Jaws grossed $476.5 million at the box office on a budget of $9 million dollars, thus making it not only one of the most profitable films of the 1970s but one of the most fiscally successful films of all time. A series of sequels would follow the release of Jaws, and while none of them would come close to achieving the same critical success as the Spielberg classic, they would each gross a substantial amount of money at the box office.
A twenty-five-foot model of the movie's antagonist, known to die-hard fans as Bruce the Shark was recently erected at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in 2020 to honor the film and christen the museum's 2021 reopening. Moreover, Jaws is often credited as being the first major summer blockbuster hit as well as establishing the now common practice of releasing big-budget, high-concept films during the summer with the intent of generating major studios an outrageous amount of money. In addition to its distinction of being the first major summer blockbuster, Jaws has also either topped or been included in many prestigious best-of lists for popular or otherwise important movies.
Why Tarantino's Opinion Matters
Depending on who you ask, writer-director Quentin Tarantino is one of the best filmmakers working today. With classic films under his belt like Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, the sorely underrated Jackie Brown, both Kill Bill films, Inglorious Basterds, and Django Unchained, the controversial filmmaker has consistently impressed his contemporaries as well as influenced a generation of new filmmakers. As mentioned earlier in this article, Tarantino is perhaps one of the most famous cinephiles in the industry, and his extensive knowledge of filmmaking is apparent in his work. The two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker has always made it a point to speak passionately about people and things relevant to the craft of filmmaking - and whether a person agrees with it takes, he always seems to offer an interesting perspective.
Tarantino's opinion on the matter is worth taking into consideration because he has proven time and again for the last thirty years to have a deep understanding of cinema. Despite only having nine films in his filmography, his vision and sensibilities have influenced people worldwide, and one could argue he has helped introduce a lot of audiences to obscure films and filmmakers simply by referencing them (either in his work or in interviews).
Most people who offer an opinion on a topic or issue aren't an authority on them, in the beloved filmmaker's case, his opinions should be considered because nearly any film of his has a place in history as one of the greatest ever made. His work is not only a part of the pop-cultural zeitgeist, but it will continue to be studied for years to come and inspire the next generation of filmmakers and cinephiles.
The Difference Between a Movie and a Film
Is there truly a difference between a movie and a film? Does the status of a movie change the label? Speilberg has made massive productions like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jaws, Jurassic Park, and E.T. while also making smaller-scale projects like Catch Me If You Can, Bridge of Spies, and recently The Fabelmans. Movies like Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, and Lincoln might not have blockbuster budgets, but they certainly have more money at their disposal than an A24 film, so what category would they be qualified as? What determines what truly makes them a movie or a film? Is it budget? Subject matter? In many ways, it is clearly semantics in terminology, others use it as a clear distinction between various projects.
Film is likely an artistic terminology used to describe a movie that could be taken seriously as an art form, one that would be garnering awards. Movie is a term that tends to denote a sense of commercialism, entertainment for the masses. Yet all films require an investment, so they are made for financial gain, just as all blockbuster movies from MCU to John Wick are made by artists who likely do have personal visions to express. Movie is a broad term and notably can be said to factor in both movies shot on literal film and digital. Even most film historians would not hesitate to classify Jaws, a blockbuster, as one of the greatest movies ever made. So really, the difference between the two terms is truly in how one chooses to see a distinction, if at all.