Blackfish (2013)
Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite
***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***
That said, I'm not oblivious to some of the disappointing tactics Sea World seems to be employing per director Gabriela Cowperthwaite's interviews with several former Sea World employees. Granted, you're absolutely only getting one side of things in Blackfish as every single interviewee bashes the theme park, so you must take the film's accusations with a grain of salt -- acknowledging them, while at the same time realizing that Cowperthwaite absolutely has an agenda here. Now, most interviewees are former Sea World employees who worked hand in fin with the killer whales that take center stage in this film. Throughout their tenure, they seemingly didn't speak up with their concerns about these whales' treatments and now, via a change of heart, many of them are environmental activists. That's all well and good, but to me there's a slight discrediting that comes along with that in that you made your living by taking part in the very thing you're now chastising. Granted, that isn't to say that what they say about Sea World and its rules and actions are wrong (who the heck knows?)...it just comes tainted.
Blackfish revolves around the death of a killer whale trainer named Dawn Brancheau who died in 2010 after Tillikum, a male killer whale, attacked her. This is certainly a tragic story and the film delves into the background of Tillikum to try and convey that the whale was psychologically damaged by his previous owners (a small scale Sea World-type marine park in Canada) and this pain came with him when Sea World bought him. Unfortunately, the film just feels so one-sided in its agenda to "free the whales" that Cowperthwaite loses some credibility for me. Admittedly, the film intrigued me enough after watching it to do a bit more research and it turns out that Brancheau's family didn't feel that the film reflected their feelings concerning Brancheau's death or Sea World. (I was a bit surprised that the Brancheau family was nowhere to be seen in the film with the exception of a very small coda at the end...now I know why.)
Blackfish is certainly an entertaining film and one that does call into question some of Sea World's practices, but I can't help but think that this blatant propaganda could've fared better if it presented anyone who claimed Sea World does things right. They don't at all and for that Blackfish's one-sidedness is also its downfall.
The RyMickey Rating: C+
Although I really enjoyed (enjoyed doesn't seem to be the right word considering the subject matter, but I'll go with it) this one when I first saw it, I have to say that after walking away there really could have been so much more. I'm pretty much just restating the point you made in your review, but I can't help but wonder what it could have been. I really would have loved to see people supporting SeaWorld, just to understand the perspective.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I've enjoyed catching up on all the review I missed during my lunch break at work. So glad to have this guide for movies since I watch so few of them myself!
Cassie -- I found it kind of tough to rate this one because I thought what was presented was actually pretty solid, but it became so obviously one-sided towards the end that it became a little irritating when I looked back on it.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, it's always a pleasure to know someone's reading this little minuscule snippet of the web, so thanks for the comment!