Killer Whales In The Film Blackfish

A documentary about killer whales may not be that intriguing when one first catches word of it; once the viewer takes a look, they understand why it has become a well know film and has spread like wild fire. Blackfish, a documentary directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, discusses the negatives of keeping killer whales in captivity. It drives home the fact that industries who keep these large creatures captive, should be boycotted by the public. Blackfish uses literary devices to evoke the audience’s emotions to persuade them that the SeaWorld industry is cruel and that killer whales do not belong in captivity, but also explains it in a biased point of view. When one first looks at the documentary, visually, it is both thought and emotionally resonating. The cover of the film shows an image of Tilikum, one of the main whales discussed, and he is surrounded by darkness. This dark grey color on the rest of the cover gives off a dark mood, setting the tone for the documentary. The quote “never capture what you can’t control” is stated across the bottom as well, leading to an idea of the topic of the film. Within the first ten minutes, the viewer is faced with footage of the capturing of baby killer whales. Seeing this will most likely cause the viewer to understand that this is …show more content…
The film tries to show its audience that killer whales do not belong in captivity and that people should not support any industry who keeps these animals captive. Blackfish uses different literary devices in order to stir up emotions in its audience and to persuade them not to support industries that keep killer whales captive, as well as not looking at other points of views leading to a biased documentary. Blackfish evokes a lot of emotion in its audience and hopefully has a lasting impression on those who take the time to learn about killer whales and watch the