Review of Blackfish (2013) by Erin F — 06 Jan 2016

Blackfish is an in depth, thought-provoking documentary that follows Seaworld's malpractice in the handling of captive orcas, through the interviews of key witnesses and former employees. The film has many different components that were brilliantly combined, keeping the viewer engrossed.

Viewers can follow the story through court cases, televised news, newspaper articles, eye-witness accounts, and videos. Blackfish emphasizes the cruel treatment of orcas in captivity, showing the viewers first-hand the denial of mistreating killer whales by Seaworld in order to turn a profit and keep a positive company image.

The documentary covers several cases of trainer death and injury, all contributing to the building suspense that leads up to the details of one of the most shocking and graphic trainer deaths. The topic was well-researched and the information given was non-biased.

However most of the interviewees were from former employees who held the position that Seaworld was at fault for trainer injury and that whale aggression was due to captivity. Because of this, the viewer only got to hear one side of the story.

Overall the documentary is extremely persuasive, and leaves the viewer sympathizing with the whales and most likely holding Seaworld accountable for their aggressive behavior towards trainers and each other.

The music score fit the mood of the film perfectly, ranging from happy to suspenseful. It captured the underlying ominous feeling behind the joy and excitement of Seaworld shows. The cinematography of Blackfish was flawless.

It wasn't completely chronological but followed an order that was easy to understand.