Review of Blackfish (2013) by Brendan R — 06 Jan 2016

Blackfish is a sentimentally moving documentary on the malpractice by SeaWorld trainers and their interaction with captive orcas. The documentary conveys the alternative perspective that the deadly whale attacks are provoked by the brutal conditions the emotional animals live in while in captivity instead of by tragic accidents on the trainers' behalf, as portrayed by SeaWorld.

The documentary is emotionally moving as the viewer sympathizes with the incarcerated orcas after encompassing the idea that the blame primarily falls on the shoulders of SeaWorld as opposed to the animals.

The multimillion dollar organization repeatedly put both the orcas and their trainers in an environment in which they could not succeed, and ultimately made capital a higher priority than their staff and animals.

In the case of Tilikum, the animal had had a history of violent interactions with former trainers prior to be transferred to SeaWorld, yet the organization did not adequately inform the staff. The cinematography of the movie was exquisite, and it utilized a variety of different camera angles and compositions to hold the viewer's interest.

The only problem with the documentary is that it is very biased, as the perspective of SeaWorld was not covered. To be fair, the documentary did ask for their statements and interviews but they were denied on numerous occasions.

The documentary was well scripted with reliable sources, as all of the interviewees had either been former SeaWorld trainers or had some affiliation with the tragedies from the whales. The footage was all very clear and whatever could not be made out, such as surveillance camera clips, were interpreted and described so that the audience could follow the film in its entirety.

This movie appeals to various target audiences, from animal lovers to families alike, as it makes the viewer reconsider their respective role in promoting a cause that results in the capture of a beautiful animal and the death of innocent trainers.