Review of Blackfish (2013) by Jesus S — 17 Apr 2015

Blackfish is a gripping, heartbreaking, and shocking documentary. It's not only a film that informs, but it also makes you question a variety of topics, like how can we as humans control nature itself? Especially if a particular animal has a solid degree of intelligence - perhaps even emotions? This documentary makes us ponder such questions, especially as the actions of trying to control another intelligent life form can lead to tragic consequences. It's a tale of human error and the unpredictable elements of nature.

The documentary primarily focuses on an orca named Tilikum, and it begins with an audio recording of a 911 call from SeaWorld in 2010, stating that one of their orcas had killed its trainer, Dawn Brancheau.

From that point, the film explores Tilikum's life, like his capture in 1983, his time at Sealand of the Pacific, his transition to SeaWorld, how he was attacked by other orcas in captivity which severely affected his psychological state, and his involvement in the deaths of 3 different trainers during the course of his captivity.

However, it doesn't just focus on Tilikum, but it also focuses on the court case that followed after Dawn Brancheau's death and the film dissects the testimony given by SeaWorld higher ups. Throughout the documentary, it also explores other cases of orca attacks in captivity, which also include the killings of other trainers.

The story presented is not only fascinating, but it is also gripping and thought-provoking. It was also interesting to see all the insights from the various people interviewed, which included SeaWorld employees, researchers, and various other people - including loved ones of one of the deceased people and even a fisherman who was tasked with catching killer whales and his recollections of that particular day. There was not a single dull interview - it was fascinating to hear all the perspectives.

Blackfish is a very compelling documentary, and a very controversial one as well. If the topic of man versus nature is something of interest to you, you should watch this superb, evocative documentary because it will inform you, make you think, and also blow you away all at the same time. I may not watch documentaries often, but this one is well worth watching.