The documentary film Blackfish is directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite and premiered in 2013. Blackfish is the heart-wrenching story of Tilikum, the largest Orca at Seaworld in Orlando Florida and former, senior Orca trainer, Dawn Brancheau. While depicting this story, the film broadens its subject and discusses the sometimes devastating effects of human interaction with nature and it’s intelligence. The film examines the relationship between humans and nature; primarily focusing on keeping captive Orcas and the detrimental results. The documentary also explores: cases of human death and injuries caused by Tilikum, his species’ treatment in captivity, the interaction between them and trainers, and the involvement of the multi-billion dollar The film raised awareness and drew national attention to the subject; even prompting the U.S. House of Representatives to express concern regarding the captivity of Orcas. Blackfish critically highlights how the public views wildlife “entertainment”, and encourages viewers to be aware of the impact they on nature and vise versa.Throughout the film, the filmmaker challenges viewers to consider three major questions: Should wildlife be held in captivity? Should we treat more intelligent animals such as killer whales differently? and Are SeaWorld visitors complicit in the abuse of Orcas? (Halverstadt, Lisa. Voice of San Gabriela states that, “she came in with questions. I set out to understand this incident, not as an animal activist- because I'm not one - but as a mother who had just taken her kids to SeaWorld, and of course as a documentary filmmaker who unfortunately can't let sleeping dogs lie.” She goes on to discuss the effect that the creation of Blackfish had on her and her film crew;also discussing how she was driven to portray the treatment of killer whales in a honest and factual manner. Cowperthwaite states that her goal for the film was to, “take the "Blackfish" momentum and use it to help evolve us out of animals for entertainment. These silly marine park tricks are of no social, educational or conservational value. We advocate, instead, for captive killer whales to be retired into sea sanctuaries where they can live out the rest of their lives in a dignified, sustainable manner.” (Cowperthwaite, Gabriela.
Blackfish is a 2013 documentary, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, about the captive orca, Tilikum. The documentary chronicles Tilikum’s life in captivity while examining the conditions that SeaWorld’s orcas live under. Cowperthwaite argues that SeaWorld mistreats their Orcas and intentionally misinforms both their employees and the general public. Rhetorical analysis reveals that Cowperthwaite uses emotional appeals and juxtaposition to sway the viewer to her perspective.
Since whales are normally peaceful in the wild and they only seem to attack while in captivity, the argument is that captivity is wrong and dangerous for killer whales. This argument is supported by detailed facts about how the whales are tortured and agitated by other whales with no outlet. Both female and male whales are confined to a swimming pool where they are in a way being forced to try and mate. The female whales tend to abuse the male whales, which leads the whales to become mentally and physically unhealthy resulting in attacks on trainer. In the interviews with Corinne Cowell and Nadine Kallen, they mentioned that when they visited Sealand of the Pacific that three whales were confined to a “dingy pool”. Another appeal to pathos is when a neurologist that has studied killer whales mentions how the animals are very intelligent and are well-aware of what is going on around them. (SeaWorld) Killer whales have similar brains to humans, but have a bigger part of their brain where emotions are processed. With this, whales are more aware of their emotions and the bonds they make with humans and other animals. (SeaWorld) With the huge amount of raw footage, first-hand accounts, and true information, the film is able to grasp the attention of the viewers with the amount of emotion that is shown from the former trainers and the whales themselves. With these tactics, the film effectively appeals to the
The documentary Blackfish by Gabriela Cowperthwaite is a gripping documentary about orca whales in captivity at SeaWorld and other sea parks around the world that shows the disturbing effects that can be caused from having these animals in a place where they shouldn’t be.
This resulted in him spending the majority of his time in isolation, something orca whales are not used to. They are known for being social, emotional creatures. They spend their whole life in their pods and form very close bonds with each other. SeaWorld’s arrangement of whales is extremely unnatural because they put random, unrelated whales in a small area together. By doing this, they add to these animals’ frustrations of being in captivity. Years passed, and Tilikum became a part of the main show at SeaWorld. One night in 1999, a man snuck into the park, assumably to see the whales up close. He was found the next morning, draped across Tilikum’s back without any clothes. Among many other injuries, his genitals were ripped off and eaten by the massive whale. SeaWorld public relations released the easy story of a mentally unstable man wanting to have a one on one experience with a killer
Blackfish is a well-known film about how whales were kept in captivity while being mistreated. This film explained the situation in more of a sequential order stating each event one after another from occurrence. This film was made to inform people of all the cruel and monstrous things that Sea Land and Sea World were doing to the whales.
Millions of people come from across the world to visit Seaworld every day without thinking about the lives of the animals behind the scenes. Why would they have concerns? From Seaworld’s commercials to the website, they convince the general public that Seaworld is the place to go to see the happy sea animals perform. If Seaworld is such an ecstatic place, what excuse does Tilikum, their greatest well known orca whale, have for the three attacks on trainers? The documentary “Blackfish” was created by the director Gabriela Cowperthwaite because she questioned herself after realizing Tilikum's odd behavior over time in captivity, and if there was any indisputable parts to animal captivity?
Blackfish is a documentary based on the story of Tilikum, a performing killer whale that has taken the lives of several people whilst in captivity. This documentary underscores problems within the multi-billion sea-park industry, describes man's relationship to nature, and how little has been learned about these highly intelligent mammals.
In Blackfish, Director, Gabriela Cowperthwaite, addresses the accidents that occurred at SeaWorld involving trainers and whales. Cowperthwaite’s purpose is to educate the audience on the cruel treatment and rough conditions of whales that occur in SeaWorld. The film maintains a shocking tone in order to persuade the audience and appeal to feelings of sadness and anger.
Blackfish is a 2013 documentary attempting to elevate public awareness regarding the orca that are being kept in maritime amusement parks, specifically SeaWorld, and the inherent danger of their captivity. The film is effective because it raises a set of important ethical questions for the viewer while presenting with a necessary fact-based style of documentation that does not evoke gratuitous scenes of abuse in order to inspire sympathy, unlike some of the other films that are intended to raise awareness about animal abuse. The film focuses on one orca, commonly referred to as a killer whale, in particular by the name of Tilikum. The documentary begins as a group of contract fishermen hunt a family of killer whales off the coast of Iceland.
Imagine yourself living in a bathtub for 25 years and you could do absolutely nothing about it. Wild orcas, better known as killer whales have been captured to entertain audiences world wide at aquariums. The most popular location being Sea World. Growing up in Miami, I could not control my excitement when it came time to go visit Lolita the killer whale at the Miami Seaquarium. To be able to see such an amazing creature right in front of me was mind blowing. How amazing is it that you can be face or face with an animal of that size? Well, I wish I'd known then what I know now. In the following paragraphs, I will start off with the difference between the life of a wild orca in the wild versus their life in captivity and I will end with reasons as to why families should not participate and give their time and money to these companies who commit such inhumane acts. I hope that towards the end of this essay, you will change your view on wild orcas and not look at them as just an animal that is used for entertainment purposes.
And even a six year old wasn’t blind to that fact. The issue of keeping Orcas in captivity and under the care of man has been a controversial practice ever since the first dolphins and whales were taken into aquariums for the amusement of humans. In more recent times, the documentary Blackfish (which has been recently broadcast on popular TV stations such as CNN) that focuses on Tilikum, an orca held by SeaWorld, has brought to light the controversy over captive killer whales. Orcas are majestic, beautiful, and intelligent creatures that should not be kept in captivity for our entertainment because of the harm they cause. SeaWorld, a leader in the captivity and use of killer whales for entertainment, has counterattacked the points made by the documentary Blackfish, which brought many points to light.
Captivity is a term that has a range of definitions. The least restrictive would be an enclosed area that attempts to meet the physical social, physical, and medical needs of these animals. The most restrictive provide limited area for movement, social interaction, and does not provide needed regular medical attention. When referring to dialect in killer whales we are talking abo...
Millions of people visit Sea World each year (The Fate). They crowd into Shamu Stadium to be entertained by the killer whales as they perform. Their eyes widen, and they sit in awe, as these enormous creatures effortlessly propel themselves out of the water. The children in the audience squeal with delight as the orca’s giant tail sends a wave of ice water over the crowd. But these fast-paced, high-spirited shows hide a darker reality. They are designed to mask the reality of the bare, cold concrete walls that the Orcas are forced to call home. It’s time for people to realize the plight of these mammals. Keeping Orcas in captivity is both harmful and cruel.
This internal conflict between how society characterizes bears versus the natural behaviors of wild bears is exemplified in the documentary Grizzly Man, by German film-maker Werner Herzog. The documentary analyzes the life and death of Timothy Treadwell, a want-to-be filmmaker, who spent the later years of his life living amongst wild bears while compiling footage of wild bears that aimed at educating the public about bears and how to preserve bears and their habitat. Unfortunately, Treadwell and his girlfriend are later mauled to death by the bears he was attempting to protect. In the film, it is immediately evident that Treadwell’s perspective on wild bears is abnormal; he treats the bears as if they were harmless animals by petting them, turning his back, reading to them, and giving each bear a nickname. However, throughout the film it is apparent Treadwell is fighting with an inner struggle, shown by baby-talking to the wild bears, yelling at them when they get too close, and then immediately apologizing for yelling and professes his love of the bear. In an interview Treadwell states that bears are misunderstood, and that people should not harm wild bears. In one scene, Treadwell films himself in his tent, cuddling with his favorite teddy bear, so it is apparent that the concept of virtual bears has clouded his beliefs about wild bears. In For the Love of Nature: Documenting Life, Death, and Animality in Grizzly Man and March of the Penguins, Jennifer Ladino describes Treadwell’s view on nature, “The fact that he frequently occupies the frame alongside the bears undermines the tendency of the wildlife film to draw a stark line between animals and humanity” (Ladino, 75). While Herzog conveys the message that wild nature is indifferent to humans, Treadwell is
Pets are a key component of society today. From fish to dogs, to the few who have pet tigers, humans have normalized the practice of domesticating other species. Although society has accepted this practice, the question of whether or not it is morally right remains unanswered. Blackfish, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, opens up the conversation by revealing the atrocities of SeaWorld, an amusement park that features captured and domesticated whales. The release of Jurassic World, directed by Colin Trevorrow, follows a few years later. With many parallels between the Indominus Rex in Jurassic World and Tilikum in Blackfish, Jurassic World acts as a response in agreement with Blackfish. Jurassic World criticizes animal domestication by