In the documentary Blackfish, the director and writer Garbriela Cowperthwaite (2013) tackles the topic of animal captivity. Within the film Cowperthwaite specifically examines the captivity of orcas at Seaworld. Cowperthwaite's film argues against Seaworld's procedures regarding orcas. Garbriela Cowperthwaite effectively persuades the audience by providing video evidence and including varying interviews. This film is able to provide a large amount of evidence through video footage. Being able to supply audience members with a plethora of visual evidence is one of the many advantages of a documentary. Blackfish used news footage, visual recreations, and Seaworld footage to reason with the audience. By presenting the viewers with a lot of evidence Blackfish persuades the most logical of people. …show more content…
Throughout the film Garbriela Cowperthwaite incorporated a multitude of different types of interviews. At the beginning of the film the audience is introduced to a number of former Seaworld trainers. The former trainers, who are educated on Seaworld's procedures, speak on the treatment of the orcs and their experience as Seaworld trainers. Each of the trainers share personal stories about working with the orcas, which helps the audience connect to these animals and story that Cowperthwaite is presenting. For instance, John Jett, a former Seaworld trainer, shared a personal story about working with orcas: "When you look into their eyes, you know somebody is home" (Cowperthwaite, 2013). By including this statement in the documentary, the audience is able to understand and emotionally connect the story on a deeper
Blackfish is a documentary based upon orcas who are at SeaWorld. Throughout the documentary Blackfish, there were many rhetorical devices used. The documentary displayed very empowering rhetorical devices. The documentary also gave a great representation on why orcas should not be held captive. I strongly agree with the filmmaker,Gabriela Cowperthwaite.
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.
Cowperthwaite uses pathos to grab her audience’s attention, but not to a point where they are enraged; she uses just the right amount to persuade them that the animals at SeaWorld are in terrible living conditions and are treated
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.
After watching the documentary, I began to analyze Gabriela Cowperwaithes claim; essentially, she doesn’t feel it is right to have whales in captivity because it makes them aggressive and perhaps insane after being held in captivity for so long. For example, she showed old footage of baby Orcas being captured and taken from their mothers. Then, she moved on to them being trained, specifically Tillicum, who later became aggressive and killed three people. By showing us that footage she is igniting feelings understanding and sadness. A human that is being taken from their mother would be in distress also. I interpreted that footage as her saying it is wrong to take whales from their natural environment.
Currently, live whale performances have become well liked for tourists to visit. When they are there, they only see what they want to see and do not care or want to know all about the complications the whales go through just to make people smile. The documentary “Blackfish” exposes the truth about the whales, their habits, and why they act the manner they do when in captivity. The inhumane treatment of whales in captivity causes negative effects on the animals which, in turn, affects the humans who care for them.
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 first genetically modified animal has been given the green light to reach dinner plates.
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.
"Blackfish" might not make an airtight case against training wild animals for our enjoyment, but it very convincingly argues that those animals remain what they are, no matter how SeaWorld or any other corporation invested in presenting them as cuddly attractions tries to say otherwise.
The topic of the abuse of Orcas in captivity is a widespread injustice that culminates in the biggest orca training water park in the country, SeaWorld. Unfortunately, this abuse is practiced all over the world and is a major issue that many people want to see end. The documentary, Blackfish, presents these issues by educating people on the abusive conditions that takes place in these water parks. In the movie, one can see just how significant this problem is and the impact that it has had on the population of the orcas around the world. Furthermore, it is a problem that it is too significant to be solved by simply attacking the problem head on. There are simple yet complicated methods and small steps that must be taken in order to solve
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.
An orca, more commonly known as a killer whale, is currently one of the largest marine animals held in captivity. Countless arguments are being made, supporting and opposing captivity of orcas to be exploited as circus animals in theme parks around the world. Throughout recent history, Sea World trainers have been injured and killed by the orcas and the whales, and the whales themselves have been observed as severely depressed. If Sea World releases the whales, they would undergo an immense economic downfall and the whales would be too weak to survive in the wild if they were freed. Since the first Sea World park opened in San Diego, California in 1964, common questions have arose concerning the well-being of orcas in captivity, the dangers of humans training them, the physical capability of whales theoretically being released, and the psychological differences between whales living in the wild versus whales living in Sea World's confinement.
“Overfishing occurs when more fish are caught than the population can replace through natural reproduction”. CITATION
But for what it is, it is a film that helps raise awareness of what goes on behind the scenes. SeaWorld is not as fascinating as it seems. Blackfish is a film that strips away the image of fun from these parks, and shows the bitter reality of what goes on behind the fun commercials. Blackfish is a film that sheds light not only on the brutal mental and physical abuse that some of these whales go through when put into a compact area with other whales they are not familiar with, but also the horrendously deceptive, irresponsible, and dehumanizing way in which SeaWorld treats its trainers, the people who the public are supposed to trust to know exactly how to handle themselves in the event of an incident. The fact that the film conveys this to the viewer shows success. Something that led to a lack of success was only showing one side (their side) of the argument. The film's tagline is, "Never capture what you can't control." In essence, the film puts on notice a major corporation who makes its money by turning animals into performers and questions the validity of such practice with little regard to these