Rick O’Barry pioneered the commercialization of Dolphins with his hit TV show Flipper. He was one of the most renown dolphin trainers in the world. He had a strong history with the animals and their increasing popularity. He trained five dolphins throughout the 1960’s. It wasn’t until he watched Kathy, a flipper dolphin, die in his arms that he realized the effects of this new development in commercialized sea animals. He then worked for forty-four years to try to rectify this mistake. He realized the inhumanity in captive

dolphins and chose to dedicate the rest of his life to better their lives. He rescued over 25 dolphins in South America and began a foundation that educated people on the truth behind show dolphins. This was a time when dolphins were becoming very popular and loved by the public. He was arrested multiple times in the process of making his film, The Cove. O’Barry gathered a crew and went to Taiji, Japan to expose the dolphin slaughtering cove. He gathered footage to expose Japan for it’s inhumanity. The Japanese fought very hard to keep this secret from the world however, O’Barry risked everything to provide exposure to this injustice. In a time where dolphins were beloved by many, O’Barry exposes the truth behind their horrific lives.

Rick O’Barry utilizes this film to expose the injustices brought upon Dolphins while simultaneously making an international commentary on the way this issue has been swiped under the rug. The main underlying themes of this documentary are corruption and small level activism. O’Barry conveys a heavy theme of corruption through his revelation a higher powers knowledge of this crime. He introduces the International Whaling Commission, which is a collection of representatives from around the world and exposes them for their negligence. They were being paid off to look the other way on this matter. This highlights this underlying theme of corruption and greed that permitted this yearly Dolphin slaughtering. O’Barry also supports this theme through revealing that Dolphin meat was being sold without labels in stores. This was putting the publics health at risk due to the extremely high levels of Mercury. He interviews Japanese government officials who confess to being aware of this issue but did nothing due to the profit they were making. This idea of low level activism in shown through the small team O’Barry had, contrasted with the effect the film had. All it took was a group of around 20 people who were willing to dedicate time to the exposure of this event. The shots of a crimson sea filled with mangled dolphins paired with the audio of their scream, evoked deep emotion within the audience. Rick O’Barry utilized this film to enact change and promote awareness. He made it hard to avoid by presenting first-hand footage of what can be classified as horrifically heartbreaking. The striking footage used, along-side very intense music allowed a deeper emotional reaction from the audience. The reality of how they obtained the footage also allowed for a more personal reaction to the film. He utilized graphic images in order to reveal the deep-seated corruption as well as the power of small activism juxtaposed with a profound outcome.

I took a particular interest to this film due to the profound way it effected me. I found the risk, passion, and honesty of to be thought-provoking and enriching. It inspired me to fight for things I feel strongly about and allow my voice to be heard. I see beauty in change and that’s exactly what this film demonstrated. I found the danger and high stakes to further the exposure of the severity of the issue. Seeing someone who demonstrated both sides of the spectrum of animal captivity made this film profoundly enthralling. I strongly agree with the ideas and themes being promoted throughout this film. It brought light to a topic that was dangerous to talk about. It had angst and rebellion that made it more scintillating and thought-provoking. The authors genuine investment in the preservation of this animal highlighted the barbarous acts being brought upon them. The raw footage in this film was disturbingly beautiful, which generated a potent reaction. This images, although horrifying, revealed a beautiful message. That is true art. A piece of art should provoke change and response. This film vividly allows insight into the true beauty of dolphins and why this slaughtering desperately must be put to an end. Its beauty is held in it’s reflective nature and overwhelming reality. The documentary was well filmed, highlighted a catastrophic issue, and called to action which created a beautifully strong message.