Dino DNA!

It is axiomatic to say that Jurassic Park made many kids want to become paleontologists. Quite odd given how many people die because of dinosaurs in that film. To which I say, I suppose my initial statement excludes those children who were terrified upon seeing a man be eaten alive by a Tyrannosaurus Rex. But despite the necessary kill count of a monster movie, Spielberg still manages to dazzle the viewer with the marvel of the “veggie-saurus”.

But perhaps the marvel appears to soon? Jaws is probably the closest film to Jurassic Park out of Spielberg’s filmography. The critical difference is when the monsters appear for the first time. For Jaws, we never get a full visual of the shark until the final act. Prior to that, all we saw was its fin and the people getting thrown about in the water. However, Jurassic Park gives us a Brachiosaur when we haven’t even gotten halfway through the film. The difference in the timing of the big reveal is telling of what kind of monster film the two Spielberg classics are. Jaws is more horrifying and suspenseful because of the late reveal, while Jurassic Park is a spectacle, mirroring the purpose of John Hammond’s park in the film.

For the late Roger Ebert, this difference is what made Jurassic Park a lesser film compared to Jaws. However, I think the point of Jurassic Park was not the same as Jaws, and is thus, incomparable.

When we first see a dinosaur, it is stunning, majestic. The setting contains picturesque skies and rolling fields next to glistening lakes. Herds of dinosaurs graze about. It is nice, arguably, almost too nice. Afterwards, we see the Raptor cage. However, we do not see the carnivores, we only see the aftermath of their feeding session. As the two paleontologists, Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler (along with the ever charming and hilarious Dr. Malcolm) see the first couple of dinosaurs; they begin to question how wise this all is. In other words, they wonder about the implications of having the revival of a long extinct species, like when Dr. Malcolm says, “Yeah, yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should.” How can anyone hope to control, let alone understand, such an ancient species from such an ancient environment?

Lets consider this question, first, through the plot elements that include dinosaurs. We initially see the herbivores and carnivores in isolation. However, as the movie progresses, we see the T-Rex hunting other dinosaurs. Also, as Dr. Malcolm predicted, the dinosaurs are breeding despite being all female. It is progression – nature finds its way.

An image that shows this progression frames the core plot of the film. When the characters first land, we get a close up of the Jurassic Park logo on the jeep door. It is clean, new, and pristine. When the film ends and they are leaving on the jeep, we get another close up of the logo. Now it is covered in dirt.

There is another thing that is covered in dirt, or rather, mud – Nedry’s can he uses to transport the embryos. Natural forces bring on even his demise. Despite his calculated manner in which he steals the embryos, once outside, he crashes twice because of the reduced vision caused by the rain. Honestly, you can even consider karma a natural force, and Nedry gets his fair share of it.

It is all an illusion of control. The control never existed. Comically, this mirrors Spielberg’s experience while making this movie – even Jaws. When they were shooting the scene where the T-Rex breaks free, the rain was causing the machine to be too heavy, meaning it would not move properly. The shark in Jaws also had a lot of technical difficulties. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. It is a stretch, but this film, the more you think about it, is actually quite meta. Maybe not blatantly so, but it is there, hidden beneath the mud.

Although I had seen this film many times before (I had a VHS copy and I would watch it over and over again as a child), this was the first time I had seen it on a big screen. I must really thank the State Theatre and the Michigan Theatre for constantly providing the opportunity to watch such classics that I was never able to watch in a theatre with other people – the atmosphere films were intended for. Seeing the famous moments in the big screen added a new sense of tension. The water rippling in the cup, the T-Rex roaring for the first time, the kitchen scene, the first dinosaur experience, the T-Rex chase scene, the ending fight between the T-Rex and the Raptors, and so on.

I just want to gush and gush. But I won’t.

I’m not saying that the film is perfect; for they’re quite a lot of blatant continuity errors. But, who cares? Who cares when you can watch fucking dinosaurs. NEED I SAY MORE? See what this flick reduces me to? I devolve into a little child. Only great blockbusters can do that (just listening to the score does it for me).

The Spielberg marathon is still going on. Films like Saving Private Ryan and Raiders of the Lost Ark are coming up, so I suggest you go watch it on the big screen. Get some friends to go with you. GOOD TIMES