I don't think you appreciate the gut reaction people have to these things.
Steven Spielberg really nailed the element of anticipation in Jaws. He really lets the early scenes breathe as he builds the anxiety, making the viewer constantly scan the beach, the foreground, the background, trying to pick out who will be the next victim. He's toying with us, letting the camera linger an extra moment on a swimmer, or follow someone walking on the beach just a moment longer…