Jaws and effect: How Spielberg’s epic changed our relationship with sharks forever

It’seasytocreateavillain.Twonotes,someclevercamerawork,andalingeringsenseofdreadwereallittooktohardlaunchamonsterintotheocean,onewhotearsbodieslimbfromlimb,swallowschildrenandanimalswhole,andhasthecapacitytoturnseawatercrimsonwithinseconds. Jawswasalwaysaboutalotmorethansharks.Forcinephileswhociteitasoneofthegreatestpiecesofmoderncinema,itwasaboutmoralcorruption,fracturedmasculinity,andanewfrontierinthesheermagnitudeofwhatfilmcouldconvey.However,asStevenSpielberg’smasterpieceturns50,formany,itslegacyremainsinexorablytiedtothe25-footgreatwhiteatitscentre,asillustratedinanewNationalGeographicdocumentarytiedtotheanniversary,Jaws@50:TheDefinitiveInsideStory.ThefilmfeaturesinterviewswithSpielberghimselfandarosterofHollywoodlegends,includingJamesCameron,JordanPeele,GeorgeLucas,GuillermodelToro,JJAbrams,EmilyBluntandStevenSoderbergh,talkingabouthowJawsshapedtheircreativelives.There’salsoarosterofsharkscienti