Review of The Day of the Dolphin (1973) by Ronnie C — 21 Oct 2008

First off, this film features a dolphin that learns to speak english...if you can't get past that fact then don't bother with the film or with this review.

As the film summary suggests, the story evolves around George C. Scott raising and training a dolphin born in captivity. As the film progresses you can see that their relationship resembles more of a surrogate son rather than a science project.

The first half of the film mainly focuses on Scott's attempt at showing that Alpha (the dolphin) can actually speak and not just repeat what it hears. This obviously has its impact on Scott's personal life, as he and his wife live at the aquatic training facility.

The second half shows how his work has started to attract attention from powerful and dangerous people.

Although the story itself isn't really mindblowing, even though this was made in the 70's, its Scott's relationship with Alpha and how the director portrays the dedication of everyone involved in the project and how the events that follow affect their life in some way. What finally gives this film a quality seal is the amazing score by George Delerue...his orchestral masterpiece gives the viewer a unique feel to the atmosphere and the bond between Scott and Alpha.