Analysis Of The Documentary ' Blackfish ' Essay

Blackfish is a documentary centered around the treatment of killer whales held in captivity, most notably that of Tilikum, an orca that was held by SeaWorld at its facility in Orlando, Florida. The documentary begins in 1983 with the capture of Tilikum and sheds light on the deaths involved with the infamous killer whale. Moreover, it features interviews with former SeaWorld employees who interacted with Tilikum and witnesses who were present for some of Tilikum’s reported attacks. Jeff Ventre, a board-certified medical doctor and former SeaWorld Trainer, and John Jett, a marine mammal scientist are also brought onto the documentary to analyze the scientific facts presented and to describe it in a way that is easily understood by the viewer. In the documentary, there are many examples of rhetorical devices used to provoke the viewer to stand against the captivity of killer whales.

Any little child is able to connect the name Shamu to the massive black and white creatures that dwell in the ocean waters, termed orcas or killer whales. However, the recent release of the film “Blackfish” has aimed to revise the common opinion of killer whales who are known by the title Shamu. As the film strikes marine life parks such as SeaWorld with apparent reasons as to why these orcas should not be in captivity, the question of “Blackfish”’s validity arises. How truthful can a film be that was created to persuade its viewers to ceases visiting attractions such as the killer whale shows? Since the release of “Blackfish,” animal rights activist, writers, and amusement park aficionados have been expressing their speculations on the “Blackfish”

One of the most effective strategies that the director amplifies in the film is pathos. Pathos is shown by phone calls that have been made to dispatch when attacks occurred, actual footage from attacks and baby orcas crying when they were separated from their mothers. This allows the audience to see and hear all of the incidents regarding the killer whales and be able to feel more connected. When the director uses pathos the appeal is to have the sympathy directed for the killer whales. A claim that ties in with all of this is in the documentary when they are saying killer whales are normally peaceful in the wild, and they only attack while in captivity. Detailed facts about how the whales are to an extent, tortured and become agitated with no outlet support this reasoning, since there are documented reports and footage of this as well.

Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s activist documentary, Blackfish, spurred a significant public dialogue following its 2013 premier. The film centers on the role of Tilikum, an orca whale at SeaWorld, in the deaths of three SeaWorld trainers, including, most recently, Dawn Brancheau. Cowperthwaite follows a suit brought against Sea World by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), weaving together testimony of scientists, former trainers, and family members of the deceased, among others, to make a compelling case against SeaWorld’s practice of holding and performing alongside orcas. Nevertheless, after its release, the film drew criticism from some of its participants as well as Sea World itself. Cowperthwaite claims not to have tried to vilify SeaWorld. However, this claim seems dubious given the film’s fairly evident anti-SeaWorld bias.

The beginning of the documentary shows a whale attacking the trainer which makes the audience feel whales are dangerous and invites us to be terrified of them. The body of the documentary then goes into depth about the whales which explains SeaWorld’s mistreatment of them, whale psychology and their behaviour. The end of the documentary, a footage of a whale swimming with the community, which represent hope for the whales. By constructing a sequence like this, it makes us feel aware, anger and compassion which is basically playing with our emotions and also that is what the producer do to make a quality, memorable and poignant

Most people today have visited or at least heard of the popular tourist attraction, Seaworld. These tourists may think of it as a place to see marine animals do trick, like killer whales interacting with humans in a fun and entertaining way- but do we ever stop to think about the treatment or feelings of these creatures? After visiting Seaworld and seeing the famous Shamu, the thought of how living in captivity affects the animal had not crossed my mind. After researching I am now extremely concerned with the way these whales are impacted by spending their lives in bathtubs and forced to do tricks for food, all while humans are blindly funding this billion dollar business.

If you have ever been to Seaworld you would have had to go see the Killer whales in fact its one of the top attractions there. Through the eyes of a child, these gentle giants seem to be happy, healthy, and enjoying a playful game with their trainers. The question is are they really happy, do they get treated the right way, and why have there been deaths and injuries. Many people wonder about these things and after the movie Blackfish came out more and more people began to question how well Seaworld treats their animals. “The truth is that Sea World keeps its animals for entertainment and money and helps no one but themselves.”- Animal Legal Defense Fund

The documentary, Blackfish, proves that there was and still is quite a bit of controversy over whether it is ethical to keep Orcas in captivity. Some people believe that it is acceptable since the Orcas are being treated and fed well. Other people, however, believe that this is not ethical because being kept in a tank for twenty years leads to aggression and therefore is too dangerous for humans. The documentary proves that there are many incidents, in the past, where a whale has harmed their trainer. One example of this, that made people more aware of the danger, was the death of Dawn Brancheau in 2010 (Cowperthwaite & Oteyza, 2013). The incidence has led to many different debates over the years and Sea World has had to try to refute the claims that were made about them. The claims were regarding their treatment of the whales and other issues. However, Sea World was not

“Blackfish” the documentary film was created to reveal how confinement of killer whales can lead to dangerous behavior toward human trainers. The main claim this film displayed is how the captivity of Killer Whales triggers aggression and is unsafe for humans and other marine mammals. Blackfish uses the story of Tilikum (most aggressive killer whale who killed the most amount of Sea World trainers), interviews of previous trainers, and court hearings regarding OSHA and Sea World to support their claim.

The movie Blackfish is a documentary of the story of Tilikum, a captive killer whale that has taken several lives, exploits the issues amongst the sea-park industry, and illustrates how little is known about these intelligent mammals. The experiences and treatment of the Orcas in Blackfish share commonalities with that of Blacks in America. The film touches on commonalities that can be generalized in comparison with slavery: family, captivity, sound and language, natural and captured behavior, separation. Through genes, captivity and the psychological and physical abuse of the whales in the movie Blackfish, one can determine and acknowledge that there is a correlation between the situation of African Americans today and the enslavement

The claim further argues that said stress can be directly blamed for the violent outbursts of the orcas against the training staff. When whales are taken away from their families in the wild waters, they grieve the pain and suffering that is associated with that parting, thus making the whales an emotional time bomb. The documentary provides grounds to argue that orcas suffer the emotional repercussions of separation, much like humans do by with the fact that scientists have proven them to be conscious of human-like relationships and feelings via MRI’s. Moreover, included in this documentary was a commercial of a killer whale giving birth to baby Kalina. Much like our society, killer whales value their relationships with their offspring. Once Kalina was taken from her mother, Katina, is shown being immobile in the corner of the tank, audibly screeching and crying. Being able to see and hear the tragic response of the mother makes the audience empathize with the orca and want to cry for her. Incorporating this event shows how holding orcas in captivity can negatively affect them psychologically. This vivid scene gives the audience the ability to sympathize on a personal level with a mammal other than

David Kirby’s book describes the complex issues of whales in captivity. The death of a SeaWorld trainer brought up many objective reasons of the training practices of this business were not effective at keeping trainers safe in the water. Currently this debate is still being tested in a court of law. OSHA claims that even with the precautions that SeaWorld tries to use, it still cannot guarantee the safety of trainers in the water. This cultural topic has been gaining ground, and recently prompted a movie based off this book titled, Blackfish. The audience of this book includes animal activists, followers of David Kirby, and people that are interested in the topic of killer whales in captivity. Rob Grom was contracted to create a book

Cowperthwaite wastes no time in establishing an emotional connection between viewers and the subject matter. Cowperthwaite uses pathos in the form of an actual 911 emergency phone call related to SeaWorld incidents, interviews given by former SeaWorld trainers, and video clips of killer whales behaving in nature and in captivity. Within the first few seconds of the documentary, viewers are exposed to not one but two horrifying 911 emergency phone calls. In one of these phone calls, a man calls and communicates to the

Sea World rebuttal was not considered in the documentary of “Blackfish” which clearly defines the bias views of the creator. So without choice, viewers are marked to take the side of the creator or leave the documentary feeling like a kid in a fine china shop, unable to touch or lose your balance for fear of shattering the look of the shop. Unfortunately, the problem with animal activist groups is that they force their religious views of animals on others with no other biases to consider. Hence, their real arguments are skewed and we are unable to clearly see the real poignant side without the opinions.

This article discuses the documentary film “Blackfish”, and exposes the dangers of having animals in captivity. The documentary unfolds the tragic story of Tilikum, a stress-induced whale who lived in captivity at SeaWorld since 1983. The 23-foot long bull orca drowned SeaWorld trainer, Dawn Brancheau, in 2010. The thesis in this article is “A comparison of their natural behavior patterns, as opposed to the lives they must endure in aquariums and amusement parks, reveal the answer” (Cronin. para. 4). The author Aisling Cronin, poses the question; Why do animals consistently demonstrate greater levels of aggression in captivity, than they do in the wild? The author makes comparisons of their natural behavioral patterns, as opposed to lives in