Jaws: How Accurate Quint's USS Indianapolis Story Is (What Really Happened)

screenrant.com:

Quint’s infamous monologue from Jaws was based on a true story, but how much of the speech reflected the real USS Indianapolis sinking? Jaws premiered in 1975 and soon became one of the first big blockbusters, launching the Jaws movie franchise. While Jaws is not a conventional slasher movie, it contains elements of the genre, such as Quint’s character being the common horror trope of an expert obsessed with a terrifying villain. What set Jaws apart from the paranormal serial killer stereotypes of many horror movies was its root in a universal setting; anyone could encounter a shark if they brave open waters, and shark attacks weren’t a movie-crafted phenomenon.

Quint's story heightened the horror elements of Jaws and the reality of Amity Island's fear, and the sentiment is similar to a haunted house movie based on true events. One of the most famous scenes is Quint (Robert Shaw) recounting his experience in the aftermath of the USSIndianapolis' sinking, with his harrowing story of men — who are already going through a horrifying experience — meeting a new unforeseen enemy in scores of sharks. Viewers don't have to see a flashback of the incident to understand the impact of the scene: it’s all in Quint’s vivid description, tone of his voice, and the solemn silence from Brody and Hooper.

Related: Stranger Things: Every Jaws Easter Egg & Reference

This scene comes around midway through Jaws where Chief Brody (Roy Schneider), Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), and Quint are on the Orca at night, fixing the boat and waiting for the shark to reappear. As they drink and impatiently wait, the men begin telling the stories behind their scars. Their light-hearted tales are rounded off by Quint, who reveals he is a survivor of the 1945