First of all, yes, the subject matter of the movie is horrible. It's disturbing to watch pretty near anything being killed. I did however feel like the overall feel of this movie was of course very typically North American, i.e. we know the right way to do everything, are the leaders of all that is pure and good and light in the world, you know how it goes, and the Japanese are painted as cold and unfeeling and well, monsters.
I can never help but play Devil's Advocate, even with myself and I suppose it is in direct opposition with the things I actually do in my life, for example being a member of what is basically an environmentalist group. However, I just CAN'T be one of those people who takes the hard line approach of black or white, and I don't, not even within the group. Anyway, this leads me to the idea that one of the real reasons this film created such an uproar is because they are Dolphins and well, we LIKE dolphins, right? And they are smart and cute and communicate and so on....and then I have to say, sure of course, and so do ALL animals.
Why are we so arrogant that we place more value on those animals we interpret as trying to communicate with us? Why are we so arrogant that any animal we consider special or a pet or so on should not be eaten by any other culture who maybe doesn't feel the same way?
There was a part in the film where the guy (Ric O'Barry) who was basically the leader of this endeavour and who had worked with the dolphins in the Flipper shows said something which basically amounted to "If I had known then what I know now, I wouldn't have participated and I would have taken my money and bought those dolphins and set them free..." and I found that a bit hypocritical because that same acceptance of his own naivety was not extended to the Japanese who I am pretty certain are NOT doing this killing out of pure enjoyment but out of a true belief that the dolphins are depleting their fishing stocks etc. and I wonder, "Why was it OK that you got rich off those dolphins and then you had a revelation and now you are a good person but these guys are just evil?"
I mean, those Flipper dolphins suffered, maybe even more than a dolphin that is killed; they spent a lifetime in captivity performing for humans and treats. They promoted the idea that dolphins are good entertainment and created demand for captive animals in nasty parks like Sea World and Marineland. Just because you came to your senses (after you were rich and now have enough money to run around the world furthering your cause) doesn't give you a get out of jail card in my opinion. OK, I can cut some slack, just a little, I think it's good he is devoting his life to saving the very animals he once had such a hand in destroying, (I STILL can't quite get over his self-admitted hypocrisy and I read an interview with him where he admitted that he had a change of heart about what he was doing but continued for TWO YEARS because he was making so much money. SIGH.).
Guilt makes us do things. Easier still if we have lots of money. I just can't let the nasty imagery and reality of what is happening in Japan blind me to what this guy did, the industry he basically (and again, self-admittedly) started. Did I mention I really hate hypocrisy?
There was another part where they sort of high and mightily talked about Japanese at a Sea World type park watching dolphin shows while eating dolphin and I thought, well yeah, and if I go to Sea World/Marineland I can go to the petting zoo and then grab a burger or hot dog so what's your point?
There was a nasty bit about high levels of mercury in dolphin meat and apparently the government hid/lied about this and people are blissfully unaware they are consuming poison dolphin meat. That's quite awful of course, but I think similar things also go on in North America. I continuously felt throughout this movie that I was supposed to be appalled and angry at the evil, rotten Japanese people.
Anyway, yes, perhaps they are doing a good thing by exposing this although in all honesty it's not particularly our business and maybe we should be more concerned with the treatment of the animals we slaughter and eat every day on our side of the ocean, but then again, some of them aren't particularly cute and we can't make them jump through hoops while we clap and shove a hot dog on a stick down our throats. Also, I guess chickens don't go out of their way to communicate with us and well cows, they pretty much ignore us so.... yeah. Pigs are pretty smart but people like bacon too much to give a fuck.
I can't help but wonder how many people watched this film all aghast and inflamed while chowing down on a hot dog made from a pig or cow who got crammed onto a cold truck in terror and then had a bolt shot into his skull while surrounded by the smell and fear of dying animals, had his throat slit and his blood drained... you know how it goes. Because I'm pretty sure the movie theaters aren't serving ethically raised and slaughtered meat products.
Hypocrisy.
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