Blackfish (2013) – a Documentary Film Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaithe
Blackfish premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2013 where it was picked up by CNN films and Magnolia Pictures for a limited cinema release. It then found its way to Netflix where it was able to reach a much wider audience. It has since been broadcast on TV both in the US and UK and has been released on DVD and Blu-Ray. The documentary was nominated for Best Documentary at the BAFTAs in 2014. It is rated 8.1/10 on IMDB.com and 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Role of the Media:
Meeting Needs (To Inform, To Educate, To Entertain) and Influencing Behaviour and Attitudes
The role of a documentary film is to inform. However, information presented isn’t always without bias. The information in Blackfish has been labelled ‘animal liberation propaganda’ by some supporters of SeaWorld. They claim the film deliberately misrepresents the reality of what happens in their parks to promote the attitude or belief that keeping animals in captive environments such as this is wrong.
Emotive Scenes and their Influence
There are, undoubtedly, emotive scenes in the film that are clearly designed to leave the audience feeling angry and upset. One example is the scene where we see wild orcas being captured (around 14 minutes into the film). The contributor at this point is one of the men who captured the ‘infant’ orca. He is shown in medium close up. His arms are covered in tattoos which traditionally connote toughness, yet we see him break down when he discusses his actions and how it felt to capture the orca – ‘just like kidnapping a little kid away from its mother’. The comparison itself is emotive, and the viewer know from looking at the contributor’s reaction how they are supposed to feel – upset and angry. His interview is intercut with archive footage of the whale being captured. The audience therefore gets to see the process. The tools used look painful – metal hoops and unnatural mechanical slings – which adds to the idea that what you are witnessing is wrong. The noise of the whales communicating is interpreted as crying which is also upsetting to the audience. The contributor goes on to explain that some whales were killed and that he had to cut them open and weight them down as the whole operation to catch them was ‘illegal’. Another contributor then names a court order issued in 1976 which forbade SeaWorld from capturing wild whales in Washington. The idea that SeaWorld were doing something illegal also puts the audience against them.
Other scenes may include – when the audience are shown the death of the trainer Dawn Brancheau; when we see the damage that whales in captivity suffer e.g. Tilikum’s ‘rake marks’ from the other whales; etc.
It would be a good idea to watch these scenes and make notes on them in terms of how they influence the audience through the technical and cultural codes used. The full documentary is on YouTube as well as Netflix.
Impact (of Influencing Behaviour/Attitudes)
Public Response
Since the film’s release in 2013, SeaWorld has witnessed a drop in profits from ticket sales at its parks and a fall in its share prices. SeaWorld (as reported in the national press – the Daily Mail) lost $25.4 million in ticket sales as attendance figures dropped 2.2% between October-December 2013. The national press have blamed this on the negative publicity that surrounded the film. The CEO of SeaWorld, Jim Atchison, stepped down after these figures were released.
Following the film’s release, a number of bands and singers who were scheduled to perform at a SeaWorld event in Orlando pulled out of the show. These included Reo Speedwagon, The Barenaked Ladies and several others.
Additionally, a number of bills have been introduced to prevent the abuse of whales in captivity.
SeaWorld’s Response
In response, SeaWorld have launched a PR campaign to counter this negativity. They have produced a YouTube ad, print ad and are planning a TV ad as well. The YouTube ad focuses on behind the scenes footage of the ‘excellent’ care the animals receive from their ‘highly trained’ veterinary staff. The print ads are to feature in high profile newspapers such as The New York Times and The Wall St. Journal. There is also now a section of their website dedicated to dismissing some of the claims made in the documentary.
SeaWorld have also pledged to double the size of their whale enclosures.
These are attempts to prove to consumers that SeaWorld is a caring organisation – not like the one represented in Blackfish.
A former SeaWorld employee was interviewed by CNN and said that the film ‘ignores the extraordinary benefits SeaWorld has in terms of conservation, scientific research and education’ and is therefore not informing viewers and instead is ‘propaganda’. The interviewee claims that SeaWorld is therefore ‘misrepresented’ and that the film is ‘misleading’.
Big thanks to Ms Urquhart for this!
