“I’m sorry, that had serious consequences.”

Steven Spielberg He returned to tell of one of his greatest successes, which nonetheless brought with it a series of consequences that still burden his conscience today.

In 1975 the young director shook the world with it SharksThe movie is based on the novel of the same name by Peter Benchley Redefining the concept of excitement And with it the summer blockbuster. He left the film’s success behind A long legacy of legacyAmong them is the unprecedented tension mechanism and the timeless soundtrack composed by Sir John Williams. Unfortunately Sharks He also had some direct consequences On the same sharks, who become the targets of a truly random hunt, which Spielberg spoke about again in a BBC interview:

«I still deeply regret the sharks’ perishing indirectly because of the book and the movie to this day. very sorry. […] One thing I’m still afraid of is that the sharks are somehow mad at me for unleashing the Fishing frenzy Sport fishermen after 1975».

Spielberg’s fears are scientifically based. A global study of the population of sharks and rays published in the journal Nature last year confirmed that since the early 1970s, the number of these animals in the world has increased. drastically decreased by 71% due to overfishing.

According to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Global Red List of Threatened Species, more than a third of all existing shark species are endangered. Danger of extinction While three-quarters of all oceanic shark species are also endangered. In fact, if the demand for shark fins has declined in recent years, the demand for shark meat has grown exponentially, a consumption that kills nearly a hundred million specimens each year.

However, according to Paul Cox, managing director of the Shark Trust in Plymouth, to blame it solely on Jaws would be tantamount to ambiguity of reality: «Most people can distinguish between real life and movies. Declining shark numbers is one such reason clear result from poaching».

For Cox, it’s undeniable that Spielberg’s film was instrumental in popularizing a deformed shark persona. However, he acknowledges that the director’s position and approach to this topic is in Constructive terms It can have a very positive effect on the general public:

«The movie led the discourse to focus too much on everything sharks aren’t, instead of showing just how awesome they are. However, the fact that someone as famous as himself is taking on the challenge of communicating a more positive image of sharks to the public is certain. Very appreciated».

Back in the 1975 masterpiece, Steven Spielberg then explained that directors shouldn’t “manipulate” audiences. Playing with their feelingsremembering, however, that it was he who did it in the first person in the movie:

«A filmmaker should never manipulate an audience unless every scene has some kind of sudden fright. Now that is manipulation. I’ve done that many times, once in Poltergeist and I certainly did once in Jaws, when the head popped out of the hole in the boat’s hull. Well, I admit».

Spielberg refers to the scene in which we see marine biologist Matt Hooper playing himself Richard Dreyfuss Diving in to check out what appears to be a huge hole caused by a shark bite in the keel of a pontoon boat, only to be surprised by the remains – including the head – of fisherman Ben Gardner, who fell victim to the animal.

Certainly, Spielberg’s first legendary film led to public fear of sharks, the status of which today is certainly critical. The hope is that the director’s words will work Increase public awareness On an often overlooked topic, but directly related to the health of the seas.

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Source: Watchman

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