USA 2013Directed by
Gabriela Cowperthwaite83 minutes
Rated MReviewed byAndrew Lee
Blackfish
Synopsis: The story of Tilikum, an orca, the largest member of the dolphin family, also known as a killer whale, kept in various aquariums and sea parks, and the people he killed or attacked. Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s film would make an excellent double feature with
The Cove (2009) another documentary that addressed the cruelty of keeping animals in captivity. It’s chilling stuff, as from the outset you see well-intentioned but untrained and ignorant people performing with Tilikum, caring for him, and trying to do their best without actually doing the obvious thing of setting him free. But worse is the way the film documents how Tilikum is traded around various amusement parks, with the staff kept ignorant of his history. People were performing with an animal that was known to have attacked its trainers, and management didn’t inform them or view this as an issue. And by the end three people die.
But
Blackfish isn’t a story about a killer whale getting revenge. Wisely, the filmmakers let this serve as the launching point for a deeper exploration of the nature of places like Seaworld. The people who care for the animals aren’t particularly well trained, often as ignorant of basic marine biology as the people who watch the orcas and dolphins that perform. One of the more telling moments comes when they point out the bent dorsal fin of Tilikum. The tour guides says it’s common and some of the trainers even say they thought it was normal. Then you get a marine biologist confirming no such thing exists in the wild, and it’s a sign of deep depression. There’s also footage showing how Tilikum was regularly attacked by the female orcas he was performing with. The huge open wounds you can see bleeding in the middle of a recorded performance are upsetting. There’s also a number of moments captured on camera of Tilikum’s attacks on his trainers. You begin to understand how much money these parks make and why they kept him performing, even after everything that happens.
I do have one criticism of the film though, which is towards the end they grab a bunch of former trainers and take them out to see orcas in the wild. There’s joy as they see them as they should be seen, but its effect is more of a release valve than a sobering contrast to Tilikum’s predicament. But then they do pull back to show his current situation, isolated in a tank and hidden away. As a bull he’s too valuable to let go, there’s more poor animals to breed and raise in captivity. It’s depressing stuff, but well worth seeing.
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