It’s like: Ocean’s 11 meets Free Willy
Star’s you’d know: Ric O’Barry, Flipper’s trainer
Their tagline: Shallow water. Deep secret.
My tagline: Red water runs still.
Verdict: Intriguing.
I’m not a huge documentary fan, so when I say I like a documentary, you have to know that comes from someone who has a short attention span and hates politics. And this one had a lot of politics, but also a clear message. It’s an intriguing documentary that uses state-of-the-art equipment to expose the shocking truth about “the cove”.
But also like any documentary, it is a complicated two-sided story. On one side you have Flipper’s trainer, Ric O’Barry, trying to rectify his involvement in Flipper’s captivity (and ultimate popularity) by trying to free dolphins from slaughter, and on the other side, you have the Japanese government and the little remote village of Taijii, sick of Western ways, trying to continue their “traditions” of whaling rights. It’s so much more than good versus evil. And it’s not a story of survival of the fittest. It’s a story of how one man (with very powerful friends) can (hopefully) change the landscape of a brutal practice of animal abuse at “the cove”.
Yes, dolphins get slaughtered. Yes, they show it on camera. And yes, it’s very painful to watch. It’s basically the equivalent to seeing a fox get skinned for a fur coat. It sucks. And there is one overhead shot of the cove that will make your heart stop. But the kicker comes when you realize that these fisherman are slaughtering these dolphins for meat, which is so high in mercury that if eaten, could kill you. But why, if they cannot be eaten, are they slaughtering them? That becomes the focal point of the documentary. And while some people can cry “propaganda” (because what documentary isn’t), it’s still interesting to see the political side of this Western world versus ancient traditions that take place. If anything, it opens up a dialogue.
And it very much shows like a Hollywood film. You have the main character, a flawed, broken-down man, who spent his youth training dolphins in Hollywood, only to spend his days now trying to free them from captivity. (His story about his turning point is rather poignant and tugs at the heart strings). You have the special ops team that read like Ocean’s 11: the film guy, the recon guy, the military guy, the two freedivers, the Industrial Light and Magic guy (you’ll understand when you watch it). And then you have the intriguing script of questions…government conspiracy? worldwide cover-up? political bribery? David versus Goliath? It really is a Hollywood story wrapped up in an hour and a half…
And, if anything, it makes you aware of this horrible and brutal practice of animal abuse and the bureaucracy crap that comes with protecting the wild.
But beware: you may never want to go to Sea World or eat sushi again.
