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 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.
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.
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.
"Orcas in Captivity: Animal Cruelty for Profit." Blog RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. .
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.
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 broadcasted 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 it causes them.
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
The film Blackfish, a documentary created by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, is a film about the cruel punishment of killer whales at SeaWorld. It suggests that killer whales should be set free from captivity in marine mammal parks because of the threat and danger towards humans and each other. Blackfish is an explicit example of how logos, ethos and pathos are used to create an argument that is impressive, valid and effective. After watching Blackfish, if you could only take one thing from the film it should have been that orcas are being kept in captivity under cruel conditions for the sole purpose of their investments and profits off of them.
The documentary Blackfish and the movie Jurassic World have several themes in common. Blackfish is a documentary that shows the cruelty and horrors that come with raising orcas in captivity. Animals that are raised in captivity are not given the freedom that animals in the wild have. When it comes to orcas, they are one of the top species in the world and were confined to small tanks and forced to perform circus tricks for the amusement of the public. Similarly, in Jurassic World the animals that were kept in captivity were dinosaurs.
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.
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
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.
“Overfishing occurs when more fish are caught than the population can replace through natural reproduction”. CITATION