Steven Spielberg’s career finally began with “Tubarão” from 1975: There were four Oscar wins and another 11 at various film awards. However, the filmmaker regrets one thing about the acclaimed film: that it coincided with an increase in shark extinction.
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The director shared this regret this Sunday (18) in an interview with the British radio show “Desert Islands Discs”. “I sincerely and to this day regret the decimation of the shark population because of the book and the film,” said Spielberg, who based his famous feature film on Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel.
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However, the American made a humorous comment about the fish of the superorder Selachimorpha being unhappy with him: “That’s one of the things I still fear. Not getting eaten by a shark, but the sharks are kind of mad at me for the mad sport fisherman frenzy that happened after 1975.”
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2 of 4 Director Steven Spielberg — Photo: Getty Images
Director Steven Spielberg — Photo: Getty Images
3 of 4 Tubarão (1975) — Photo: Disclosure
Tubarão (1975) — Photo: Disclosure
The plot of the classic film revolves around a series of attacks on great white sharks in the small American town of Amity. The local sheriff (Roy Scheider) teams up with an ichthyologist (Richard Dreyfuss) and an experienced fisherman (Robert Shaw) to capture the animal.
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In recent decades, some studies have observed that shark hunting has increased significantly worldwide, threatening the existence of these animals in the wild. The critters are usually killed for culinary purposes, with the industry selling meat and the oil made from it.
It is estimated that 100 million sharks are killed annually. A 2021 study also found that the global abundance of shark and ray species has declined by 71% over the past 50 years.
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4 of 4 Scene from “Tubarão” (1975) — Photo: Advertisement
Scene from Jaws (1975) — Photo: Advertisement
For this reason, Peter Benchley has also expressed his regret for his book. “Today I see the sea from a new perspective; not as an antagonist but as an ally. With fewer threats than secrets and wonders. And I know I’m not alone. Scientists, swimmers, divers and sailors are learning that the sea deserves more respect and protection than fear and exploitation,” he reflected years ago, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
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Check out the trailer for Jaws below:
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