The Cove
"A dolphin's smile is nature's greatest deception. It gives the impression they're always happy", says Rick O'Barry. O'Barry was the man who helped train Flipper for the TV series all those many years ago, and now he feels responsible for everything that's happened since. Dolphins used as props for water parks, taught a language completely illogical to their natural abilities, but all this is nothing compared to what's going on at the secret cove in Taiji, Japan.
In this cove, which looks so beautiful and serene from the outside, dolphins are herded where they are mercilessly slaughtered. The fishermen, who also appear mostly friendly and oblivious to their heinous actions, form a wall of sound using hammers that screws up the dolphins natural sonar and forces them in the opposite direction. Then they are netted and harpooned to death. Why? That's the kicker. Japanese people don't eat dolphin. It's full of mercury for one, but it's just not part of their culture to eat it. So they take the dolphin meat and call it whale meat, which does sell. It's all a big lie. When the Japanese government callously begins trying to force dolphin meat to be a part of the school lunch program(japanese kids are forced to eat their entire lunch, I might add), the lack of concern for the well-being of their future generation is appalling.
O'Barry, in his endless quest to make amends for his own enormous success at the dolphins' expense, has been working tirelessly for 25 years to expose the dirty dealings going on. He gathers a crack team of Olympic class divers and guerrilla filmmakers for a covert operation that would put Blackwater to shame. We're talkin' remote cameras made to look like rocks created by Industrial Lights & Magic. No expense was spared. The planning process is intricate, but the execution of the plan is some of the most intense ten minutes I've seen on film this year. If any one of these people is caught in the act, they could be quietly killed and nobody ever would be the wiser. O'Barry has had his life threatened numerous times and knows the score, but some of the other people on his team clearly aren't prepared for what's in store. The film takes on the feel of a crime story, similar to the way last year's Man on Wire felt like a true life heist film.
The footage they collect, presented without warning near the end of the movie, is disgusting and stomach turning. The only thing more hideous is the smile on the head of the International Whaling Commission's face as he tells another lie ensuring that his country's able to continue slaughtering the beloved mammal. The Cove is brilliant guerrilla filmmaking at it's finest. Best documentary of the year so far and a sure Oscar contender at the end of the year.
8/10
