Documentary Movie Review

This moving documentary goes behind the scenes at marine parks where orcas have injured and sometimes killed their trainers. The film looks at the cost to humans and mammals when these wild animals are forced to spend their lives in captivity, performing stunts for a piece of fish, praise from the trainers, and a round of applause from the audience.

The History of Tilikum

Documentary filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite painstakingly interviews animal experts, former animal trainers, and eye witnesses, uses old film footage and newspaper articles, and examines the courtroom case involving the fatal attack of veteran killer whale trainer Dawn Brancheau by Tilikum, the killer whale also responsible for the deaths of two other trainers. Going far beyond traditional news coverage, Blackfish delivers raw emotions, shocking footage, and scientific explanations combined with moral questions about sacrificing an animal's freedom for human entertainment.

Cowperthwaite's research reveals the heightened emotional component in the brains of orcas. Their intelligence and sensitivity - the very traits that make them such wonderful entertainers - make them unsuitable to a life in captivity, according to some experts in the film. They suggest this confinement (especially having a male trapped with aggressive female killer whales that attacked him daily) traumatized Tilikum and turned him into a killing machine. Others remind the audience the word "killer" is already built right into the animal's name.

Sea World Not Directly Interviewed

Sea World, where the Brancheau attack occurred, did not participate in the making of this film. Even so, the popular marine attraction (with its various locations) is present throughout the movie - in news footage, personal and promotional film footage, newspaper articles, court documents, and shown in a commercial in which a killer whale gives birth at the Orlando attraction. Interviews with former Sea World employees also address the park's philosophies and safety procedures.

Although Sea World does not address the specific charges brought up in the film within the movie itself, its position seems fairly clear in the cited material: marine parks bridge the gap between humans and ocean creatures by allowing both to learn about the other. The knowledge we acquire about these mammals is then used to provide better health care for them and a safer environment for us.

Even so, it's hard to watch Cowperthwaite's fascinating documentary without taking sides. The question in most viewer's minds as they watch trainers being killed and maimed, and sensitive animals torn from their families and forced to endure often torturous situations, will surely be: "Is human entertainment and education worth the cost to these animals?" Like any good documentary, Blackfish should open viewers' minds to consider new ways of thinking and behaving.

Blackfish

• This documentary explores various aspects of marine animals in captivity.
• Starring Kim Ashdown, Samatha Berg, Dave Duffus, Daniel Dukes, Daniel Patrick Dukes, Howard Garrett, Dean Gomersall, John Hargrove, Carol Ray, Tilikum, Jeffrey Ventre
• Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
• Writers: Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Eli B. Despres
• Genre: Documentary
• Running Time: 83 minutes
• MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for mature thematic elements including disturbing and violent images)

Leslie Halpern is a movie critic, and author of three nonfiction books about the film and entertainment industry. She wrote "Passionate About Their Work: 151 Celebrities, Artists, and Experts on Creativity" (BearManor Media, 2010), "Reel Romance: The Lovers' Guide to the 100 Best Date Movies" (Taylor Trade Publishing, 2004), and "Dreams on Film: The Cinematic Struggle Between Art and Science" (McFarland & Company, Inc., 2003). Visit her website: http://home.roadrunner.com/~lesliehalpern.

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Research Techniques to Help With Writing Your Documentary Film

Screenwriters may not want to write for television or write a screenplay for a big-budget movie. Lately, documentaries have grown from small budget films with limited viewership to small-to-big budget films with mass viewership and mainstream appeal. The difference between this form of screenwriting and other forms of writing is that you are communicating a direct message to your audience. The message might be about saving whales, stopping the illicit trafficking of diamonds in Africa, uncovering wasteful government spending, or revealing that aliens from Mars do live among the human race. Either way this form of writing has specific rules that one must understand to create a solid and powerful message.

The Importance of Research

The first and most important factor of documentary writing lies all on the research. You might have an idea for the documentary and your mind might be illuminated with images and so forth, but without a solid base of research, critics and viewers will not take you seriously. This is non-fiction writing. The accuracy of the information will directly reflect the value of your documentary. That said, you'll need to develop solid research skills, months before writing your first draft. Some documentarians spend more than a year on research before they develop a storyline and begin writing their scripts.

Is Your Research Valid and Relevant?

Research has many facets. You will have access to loads of information from which to choose. You'll need to learn how to extract the most relevant and pertinent parts of your research, rather than read every single thing you find. Research is composed of validity and relevance. When you scour your sources, you will need to judge how valid the point is and how relevant it is to your main argument. This will create a mechanism of selective research. To assist with your research you can make a list on a paper that ranks your research based on both validity and relevance. Rate it from one to five on both categories; if you have a five on validity and a five on relevance, then you have a solid piece of research. Rating pieces of your research will allow you to select what is important and what you may want to use as fillers.

Credible Sources for Your Research

During the research process you will have many sources and repositories of information that can add substance and credibility to your documentary. The easiest source is the Internet; however, not all sources are valid because the Internet is an open source platform and anybody can write what they want. You'll need to cross-reference the information to check its validity. Secondly, you can peruse printed sources at your library or town hall if your information deals with something related to government. Thirdly, seek out experts and gurus to give you pertinent and insightful information that you may not be able to find online. Interviewing gurus, CEOs, politicians, activists, celebrities and so forth is a brilliant way to research your subject. Tracking down the experts is more of a challenge.You can start with these three sources to build your own repository of factual-based information for your documentary.

I invite you to visit my Squidoo Lens, Free eBooks on Screenwriting, which is a personal compilation of valuable free ebooks on screenwriting and documentary writing. For more of my writing-related articles, visit me at http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/bskcom

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