Blackfish

In February 2010, reports of the accidental death of a killer whale trainer, Dawn Brancheau, at SeaWorld, Orlando featured in newspapers and TV bulletins across the globe. How could such a tragedy occur? What on earth was Brancheau thinking? How could she make such a silly mistake? Then the story changed and it appeared this very experienced trainer was attacked by the orca, Tilikum. Shockwaves rippled. What? A gentle giant killed a human that cared for it? Suddenly killer whales lived up to their fearsome moniker and became the villains of the moment.

Then the story changed again and the truth began to emerge…

Blackfish is a startling documentary from Gabriela Cowperthwaite that investigates the reality behind the sparkling waters and bright lights of the SeaWorld parks, not that they are alone in their mistreatment of these startling, intelligent, beautiful creatures. She trawls through the archives to reveal that Brancheau's death was neither a freak accident nor an isolated attack from a vicious animal, but just one of many examples since humans decided it was acceptable to kidnap young orcas for the pleasure and pockets of humans. Kidnap? Is such a strong word appropriate? Watch Blackfish, listen to the mother make "sounds we've never heard an orca make before" in a harrowing display of grief and then decide.

Watching Blackfish and still choosing to visit SeaWorld or another such aquatic zoo is surely on the same level as taking your kids to McDonalds even though you know you're poisoning them. If I were reviewing the subject of Blackfish, like 2009's powerfully distressing The Cove, it would surely warrant a perfect score. Upon the evidence here, even if you've chosen not to see the truth of our actions in the past, there's no contest. It's wrong, it's unacceptable, it's a despicable thing we do when we steal these creatures from their oceans and trap them in tiny prisons. But the review is not for the subject matter but for the manner in which it is presented to us.

Blackfish isn't perfect. It doesn't have quite the same profound, lasting impact as The Cove. Perhaps that is, in part, down to the lack of shocking imagery. The footage of orcas bleeding copiously into their pools, having been attacked by other killer whales, is sickening but because it is on a smaller scale than the mass slaughter of dolphins that dyed the cove scarlet there is a risk the impact will be reduced. It shouldn't be, it mustn't be, but… We shouldn't need to see it to believe it, but we've become a far more visually inspired breed in recent years.

More than that, Blackfish doesn't give a lot of time to the other side of the story. I'm intrigued to know quite how SeaWorld could possibly defend its actions but, as they declined to be interviewed, this is a very one-sided documentary. I can't help thinking this imperative cause would be even more compelling if we could hear the excuses.

Another unexplained mystery is how Cowperthwaite obtained the footage she has of SeaWorld. Presumably they didn't give it to her willingly. But these are minor quibbles with a documentary that is as sickening as it is compelling. Interviews with apologetic, horrified former SeaWorld trainers and tear-streaked 'kidnappers' impart the information we need to educate, inform, convince or perhaps even convert us.

First, Cowperthwaite teaches us about the orcas: Their brains are superior to ours in certain aspects; their emotional attachment far exceeds ours, with offspring remaining with their mother long into adulthood; each family group (or pod) has it's own culture and 'language' for communication.

She then counters that with the lies perpetuated by the SeaWorld staff that we choose to believe: Orcas live longer, up to 35 years, in captivity due to the care available – actually, in the wild, it's up to 50 for males and can be closer to a hundred for the females.

Male dorsal fin collapse is normal – absolutely, it's 100% in captivity. However, in their natural environment it occurs approximately 1% of the time.

Killer whales enjoy performing the tricks in tiny pools for us – um…

As more and more evidence of orca psychosis brought on by cruelty and captivity unfolds, Blackfish becomes increasingly difficult to watch. The sight of peeling paint in a tiny, floating warehouse into which the orcas are herded every night is saddening. Hearing that they are punished for not performing perfectly is horrifying. Watching them bleed, observing them rock in grief or cry out to their stolen offspring is heartbreaking.

The message throughout Blackfish is that faceless managers steal killer whales (along with dolphins and countless other creatures) from their natural habitats, subject them to abuse and solitary confinement in woefully cramped enclosures so that we can pay to watch them perform unnatural tricks for our cameras, and so the owners can watch their bank accounts swell. The message is, it isn't about entertainment or protection of a species, it's about money.

But what stamps the reality more indelibly than anything that comes before it, is the comment from one of the former trainers in the final scene. As they sail through the ocean, watching a pod of killer whales free and at peace in their natural environment, he comments, "We saw orcas swimming in straight lines with straight dorsal fins... it was an honour."

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I had heard about this film long before I got to seeing it; there are a couple of very liberal media outlets that I use and this film was very much promoted on them – so I had heard good things but was conscious that it was maybe from an easy audience sector. Anyway, I knew enough about it to be pretty sure that we wouldn't be hearing much from Seaworld in the film itself and indeed at the end it is confirmed that they refused to be interviewed for this film. Many have pointed out that this makes the film rather one-sided, but personally I do not think that having an official Seaworld presence in the film would have made much of a difference to that and to be honest it is probably for the best that they didn't get involved.

I say this because, although it is not too unfair or aggressive, the film really is a polemic rather a passive documentary; the case is made in a systematic and effective fashion, building the case and it does it in a way that is really hard to not be affected by. The film is at its best when it is as much of a documentary as it can be – so informing the viewer of the nature of orca whales in the wild, their community and their connections, because this then informs us about the actions taken to separate families from one another – and like the massive butch guy who can barely talk about doing it, it is hard not to be really moved by the idea and the reality. Other such contrasts are well done, such as the statements on lifespan etc, however the film doesn't always do it as well.

Relating to the older actions (and the illegal ones in particular), the film is a bit unfair to present these next to a silent Seaworld – I know they are not involved but it would have been nice to hear the film confirm if they had ever admitted wrong doing etc. Just mentioning it and moving on makes it look like it was gotten away with, never addressed looking back etc. The interviews with the ex-trainers are all pretty engaging and emotive but there is a lot of personal statement and issues-driven passion in there; this is fine but it means the film has to do a bit to make sure it remains a documentary – I think it could have done more in that regard.

These are flaws in the film as a documentary but even with these it is hard to really take the subject and conclusions to issue. It builds its case well, presenting the base of cruelty and the impact to trainers and animals of the Seaworld shows. It does push too far to one side and it doesn't really give you food for thought so much as conclusions, but it is an impacting film and it is hard for me to really take issue with what it is saying even if I had reservations over how it says it.

Greetings again from the darkness. Dogs, cats, fish, birds, hamsters, ferrets, snakes, and even pigs. We love our pets. We also love our zoos, city aquariums and SeaWorld parks. For many years, we have chosen to believe that the research and educational advances that come from these outlets outweigh any of the negatives involved with keeping wild animals in captivity. Filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite shows us (by focusing on SeaWorld) that it's way past time for us to open our eyes to the cruelty involved with the capture and training of wild animals for entertainment purpose.

The points made here are not speculation. We witness numerous interviews with "former" SeaWorld trainers. It's clear these people thought they had a bond with their co-performers. Most never even mention the term "killer whale" ... the common moniker for the majestic creatures better known as Orcas. The interviews have great impact, and when combined with startling TV news clips and footage from audience members, it becomes obvious that the huge profits and entertainment offered to families, are quite frankly generated by an immoral and inexcusable business model.

Most of the story is tied together by the 2010 death of super-trainer Dawn Brancheau by Tilikum, the largest Orca in the SeaWorld group. What we soon learn is that Tilikum was captured in Iceland waters at the age of three, and has since had many incidents resulting in injuries and even three deaths. It's also stated that Tilikum is the head of the family tree for the majority of SeaWorld's performing Orcas.

Of course, no one can or should blame these incredibly intelligent and emotional and family-oriented creatures. Everything about their existence goes against their natural habitat and way of life. The real issue is ... just because we CAN capture and train these animals, does that mean we SHOULD? If the focus is profits, then the answer is apparently yes. If instead, the focus is respecting nature and valuing other species, then the answer is much different.

The Cove and Project Nim are two other documentaries that come to mind when thinking about filmmakers attempting to expose the danger in training wild animals. Watching this story had me hanging my head like the fisherman from the 1970's as he helped capture a young whale, as the family members swam nearby crying and screeching. Let's hope director Cowperthwaite's screams are heard. See this movie before deciding to visit another SeaWorld (who couldn't be bothered to comment on camera). There are better ways to teach your kids about nature and there are certainly less cruel forms of entertainment.

This year is already shaping up to be a great one for documentaries and Blackfish is quickly earning the reputation of being the most essential. And it absolutely deserves it. Although its an emotionally charged argument, there's a rational logic behind it. Every time there's found footage of killer whale incidents it's utterly gut-wrenching and you can't help but dread the moments that inevitably shook the world when they could've been prevented. Fortunately, the filmmakers find a different way to present the footage each time and it keeps it from feeling repetitive and builds to feeling more heart breaking at every turn. In its use of talking head interviews with former trainers, it ends up genuinely dramatic without feeling melodramatic as many documentaries can. It oozes with passion for the creatures which helps enforce its argument against their treatment, not just for better protection for trainers, but for corporations like SeaWorld to not turn a blind eye at the clear injustice they've cased. What's the moral cost of the business and entertainment? I certainly won't ever be able to be entertained by animal acts without thinking about Blackfish. Thisis an extremely powerful documentary that's brilliantly structured, tragic and cinematic. More than worth your time.

8/10

This is a thought-provoking documentary on Tilikum, an Orca that has been at Sea World since 1983 and who is responsible for the death of 3 people (2 of his trainers, and 1 man who snuck into his tank). This is a film about the horrors that these animals go through being kept in captivity for our pleasure and the latest film to showcase how horrible Sea World can be for the very animals it claims to protect, oh the irony.

If you thought watching 'The Cove' was difficult, I suggest you take tissues if you plan on seeing this. 2 days later and I still can't stop thinking about this movie or get rid of some of the images and sounds shown.

I highly recommend this doc. Go see it with an open mind, I guarantee that you will never see captivity the same way again.

"If you were in a bathtub for 25 years, don't you think you'd get a little psychotic?!"