That scene was actually a last-minute rewrite by John Milius. Others claim he didn’t write it, but though Robert Shaw may have fiddled with the wording a bit, I believe Milius.
First, I didn't know that Millius wrote the screenplay off the Benchley book. That's interesting.
Second, I agree with what you said about Spielburg, except for Schindler's List. For whatever reason, his style works perfectly for that movie and that particular subject-matter. It is one of the greatest movies ever made, and that's a remarkable accomplishment considering some of the genius films that have been produced.