Act 2, Sequence 5: Jaws

Quint’s home displays his obsession with killing sharks and should be a warning to Brody. Hooper wants to go with Quint, but the fisherman resists. Quint even suggests that he will go alone. It is a challenge to Brody’s fear of the water. The chief thinks about it, but decides that all three of them have to go out, and Quint finally relents. Brody says goodbye to his wife, who is afraid of him. She asks what she should tell the kids, and he replies that she should tell them that he has gone fishing. Once out on the water, Brody is given the lousy, stinking job of spreading the chum and almost causes a problem with the compressed air tanks.

Hooper explains that the tanks could blow up if mishandled, a setup for the final scene. Then Quint’s reel begins to move, and he realizes the shark is near. He prepares for battle. But the fish on the other end of the line gets away. Then, while Brody is tossing chum into the water, the shark appears in an iconic moment and Brody recites the classic line of the film: they will need a bigger boat.

What Brody means is that he wants to go back to shore and get help. But Quint makes the FIFTH CRITICAL DECISION for Brody. They are going to stay and fight the shark with what they have. He is a man possessed and beyond reason.