‘Blackfish’ Emphasizes Folly of Animal Captivity

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Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – We see the public service ads often – dogs and cats in captivity after neglect and abuse. The images parade by, and the sadness in their expressions are heartbreaking. The same can be said for killer whales in captivity, used for SeaWorld shows and exploited in “Blackfish.”

The title refers to the seafarer’s nickname for these beautiful creatures. The killer whale was first captured for use in water shows over forty years ago. In the documentary “Blackfish,” director Gabriela Cowperthwaite uncovers the scandal in this exploitation, as a particular male killer whale has been implicit in three “accidental” deaths in association with the water shows in its 30 year career. Doesn’t the word “killer” tip anyone off these days? Besides the cover-up by the corporate forces behind these water shows, the documentary provides ample evidence that human beings display extraordinary hubris in their so-called “training” and captivity of the animals for entertainment acts.

The film begins with the story of Dawn Brancheau, a well-loved and seasoned veteran whale performer of SeaWorld Orlando. On February 24th, 2010, she was doing an act with a male named Tilikum, when she was dragged into the water by the whale and killed. The officials at the park blamed Blancheau’s pony tail, which they opined became distracted the mammal.

The Killer Whale Named Tilikum Performing in ‘Blackfish’ Photo credit: Magnolia Pictures

This unusual event prompted an investigation, which drew filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite into the story. What began as a philosophical treatise regarding the relationship between humans and animals – through the work of the trainers with the whales – became a Woodward-and-Bernstein style exposure of two other deaths associated with the same killer whale. Tilikum’s conditions, and the circumstances of his life as a performer, are the basis for this exposé.

The investigation is shockingly and sadly eye-opening. There is just no way to safely and happily contain a killer whale mammal in captivity. There are ions of evolutionary powers at work, which cannot be dismissed through 30 years of simply feeding the mammal and keeping it in a tank. Cowperthwaite effectively points out that these predator sea creatures are just that in the wild, and have distinctive hierarchies that don’t fall into line while confined in a tank.

Cowperthwaite, in an interview with HollywoodChicago.com, spoke of simply have a curiosity about animal and human relations vis a vis those show stopping whales when she began the project. When she fleshed out the story with stellar research, she discovered a Watergate-style coverup by a couple of show corporations, that readily dismissed all of Tilikum’s involvements in the three deaths – besides the “pony tail” defense in Blancheau’s death, the first victim “slipped” into the predator pool and the second stayed in the park after hours to swim with the mammal fishes.

Once the documentary had it’s thesis, that the deaths were preventable, the real sorrowful part of the film is revealed. Combining interviews with noted scientists and sea-faring people, plus natural evidence of the killer whale’s movements in the wild, there is strong proof that whale shows should join diving horses as a entertainment of the past. If you love animals, this is tough stuff, especially seeing inflicted wounds on the whales, simply because they’re too close together in tank.

The Trainer, the Whales and The Show in ‘Blackfish’ Photo credit: Magnolia Pictures

One of the more interesting discussions in the HollywoodChicago.com interview with director Cowperthwaite is how humans tend to project their feelings onto animals as legitimate feedback from the animal itself. Unless you own Mr. Ed, direct communication with the beasts – including killer whales – remains impossible. It’s an easy conclusion to note that the whales are simply too big, and too set in there evolutionary path, to use them as show animals.

The rule should always be – whether whale, dog, cat or hamster – is to let them be the animals that they are. The “relationship” comes in a mutual trust in the species-to-species exchange. But to paraphrase Groucho Marx, when money comes through the door, trust goes innuendo.

By PATRICK McDONALD Senior Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com