He wanted to catch the shark without outsiders inteferring or helping. Question of honor, I think.
shareYeah, he's promised the 'Amity Townsfolk' that he'd catch the fish (and given his dwellings, he had built up a pretty good 'rep' for doing such, previously) So to radio in for 'help" was a sign of weakness for Quint.
Or...In short...Ego.
Quint had a vendetta against sharks, and nothing was going to stop him from killing this one. It makes JAWS doubly frightening; you have a monster outside the boat, and a madman within.
shareHe was certifiable.
shareThis is the correct answer. Quint was off-kilter at baseline but being alone on the sea with the shark of his nightmares sent him completely batshit.
I think he smashed the radio because he didn't want reality intruding on his insanity. And quite frankly, Quint's madness adds to the film's epic quality, there's a character there whose mind is filled with DEATH OR GLORY, and it heightens the feelings as the final battle approaches.
Excellent analysis, Otter. The screws really get tightened during the at-sea scenes. The radio is smashed, the engine is blown, and the creaky old ORCA is taking on water.
Quint also has an interesting story arc. His introduction shows him to be a man who knows his stuff. He’s even “kind” to Brody when he pulls the wrong knot. Later, as the shark seems to outsmart him, we see his unstable side. Yet he comes back around when he sees what his actions have wrought. It’s a major step for Quint to admit defeat and ask Hooper what he can do. Quint is a fascinating character.
True. The shark is just a hungry animal, Quint is the real villain of the piece, his mental breakdown is a kind of psychological horror. The fact that he’s also competent, loveable and sympathetic is testament to the great writing/acting/directing.
Come for the shark, stay for Quint.
I disagree that Quint is the real villain of the piece.
IMHO the shark is the real villain, and Quint is, in a sense, another of the shark's victims. He was driven partially mad by previous sharks eating his shipmates, and meeting a second and more vicious shark sent him completely gaga.
The shark is just a hungry animal.
The villains are the Mayor and Quint - both grown men who should know better but endanger other people’s lives for their own selfish ends.
In "Jaws", the shark may be a hungry animal... but it's not *just* a hungry animal!
It's meant to embody all of humanity's fears of the unknown, mysterious oceanic depths, and cruel fate, it's not meant to be a regular shark. There's another thread on the "Jaws" forum where we discuss normal shark behavior and how this shark doesn't behave like its species ought, and that's deliberate. It's not a regular mindless shark that just wants some lunch, it's the embodiment of the three protagonist's fears.
It may or may not symbolise all sorts of things on a thematic level and it’s certainly a menace and a threat, but on the subject of morality it is just a hungry animal, like the T-Rex in Jurassic Park. The villains are the Mayor and Quint.
shareI just assumed it was because of the money.
shareIt was mostly about ego. He wasn’t about to let a passenger on his boat make decisions about what needs to be done. This was his boat…and his mission.
Combine that with an unreasonable, hair-trigger temper….and you get a smashed radio. He was making a point.
Pride.
Quint had a good reason for hating sharks and this was the biggest one sighted in his fishing area. He wanted to hoist it up dead on a hook on the dock, get a photo in the local papers and fetch his reward money.
That’s my take.
Brody and Hooper never ask him if he had a flare gun.
shareYeah I always thought it was the money. Having another boat help would potentially mean splitting his fee
share