2009 Review #66: The Cove (Documentary)

The Cove

Rated PG-13
(Disturbing content)
1 hour 32 minutes

Subject:
Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renown dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health.

Critics Grade:
A+
(Consensus: Though decidedly one-sided, The Cove is an impeccably crafted, suspenseful expose of the covert slaughter of dolphins in Japan.)

My Grade:
A+

The Cove is a documentary everyone should see! It is now available to rent or own on DVD. I feel like this is an extremely important film for people to watch. Getting right down to it, this film is about the extreme slaughter of dolphins in Taijii, Japan in a secret cove. 23,000 dolphins a year are led to torture and slaughter. Most of them are brutally killed so their meat can be sold to food companies throughout Japan. The thing is...no one in Japan knows they are eating dolphin meat, they hide that fact. Dolphin meat is extremely high in mercury, one of the most toxic chemicals on earth. They were provided dolphin meat to schools throughout Japan and not saying a thing. Some dolphins are lured and captured in harsh manners so they can be sold (for $150,000!!) to water parks, or "swim with dolphin" organizations throughout the world.

The images in the film are extreme at times, and very hard to watch. There were some things that just caught be surprise and it disgusted me. I will admit right now that I got teary eyed while watching some scenes in this film. There was a scene of a dolphin who managed to escape the cove, but was already fatally injured. It swam like crazy but was suffering convulsions and extreme pain as blood poured out it. It screamed in pain. It tried so hard to get away, but eventually it took it's final breath and sank to the bottom of the sea. These dolphins are trapped, clubbed, stabbed and severely beaten. It is animal abuse to the max. There is no justification to what happens to these animals. This happens to 23,000 dolphins a year in just this one little cove.

The cove is kept top secret, because no one can truly know what goes on in it on a daily basis. There is a perfect rock formation and along with barbed fences and armed guards, this cove is completely covert. If people found out what really went on there, these people could be in serious trouble. Well this film shows us what goes on. These filmmakers risked their careers and possibly even there lives to get this haunting footage. The film follows them as they conduct interviews and confront certain people in this dolphin killing organization. They can't get the truth from anyone, they kept pushing them away (quite literally actually). These people in this little town walk around this cove with signs that say "NO PICTURES" and will get right in front of you if you try to take one. They will scream in your face. Well this crew did the unthinkable and snuck in in the early hours of the morning and managed to hide underwater audio devices as well as HD camera disguised as rocks. The footage they captured is disturbing.

You may very well cry in this film. You will most likey at least get very emotional. I did. This is a wonderfully brilliant and shocking film that is one of my all time favorite documentaries. It taught me about a certain event that I had no idea was going on, much like the rest of the world. I'm a lover of animals. There is no reason a dolphin should be treated this way. Dolphins are not meant for food. Their meat is potentially very dangerous. Dolphins are extremely intelligent and very loving creatures. When you see this film, you will see that side of them as well see their fatal ends in this cove. Please rent this movie. Watch it, let's do our part in helping end this awful travesty that occurs every day. This is an Oscar worthy documentary by all standards. Amazing movie, must see movie...so go see it! Please!