WDR time signal.
18.12.2025.
14:19 Min..
Available until December 19, 2099.
WDR 5.
When “Jaws” was released in German cinemas on December 18, 1975, it changed the view of the sea. Steven Spielberg has created a monster that scares people.
“Jaws” shapes the image of predatory fish worldwide as a dangerous monster, although sharks are rather shy and cautious animals. After the success of the film, many people specifically hunt sharks. This is also why they are threatened today – but above all because of the trade in shark fins. *** We spoke for the Zeitzeichen with, among others: Gerhard Wegner, diver, shark expert and founder of the shark protection organization “Sharkproject” ***
- how “Jaws” captivates millions with an invisible threat,
- why the shark is rarely seen in the film,
- how a chaotic production becomes a global success.
When Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” came into theaters in 1975, it hit a nerve. A mysterious attack in the sea, a seaside resort in turmoil and a monster that you can hardly see but fear all the more: Spielberg plays with hints and expectations and thus builds tension.
The striking music by John Williams also has a major influence, announcing danger with just a few notes and making the shark’s invisibility even more effective. Despite exploding costs, endless shooting days and an unfinished script, “Jaws” becomes the box office success of the year – and the 27-year-old director suddenly becomes famous.
These are our most important sources and interview partners:
- Gerhard Wegner, diver, shark expert and founder of the shark protection organization “Sharkproject”
- Prof. Nicole Maruo-Schröder, American studies and cultural scientist, University of Koblenz
- Wieland Schwanebeck: Jaws revisited: Steven Spielberg’s Jaws and the birth of an American nightmare, Munich 2015
- Gerhard Wegner and Christine Gstöttner: Blind Dates. The Big Book of Shark Encounters. Ed.: Sharkproject International eV, Munich 2019
Further links:
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The makers behind this sign of the times:
Author: Ulli Schäfer
Redaktion: Sefa Inci Suvak
