The Cove, released in 2009 and directed by Louie Psihoyos, is a compelling documentary about the slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan. Often, when we think of a documentary, we generally think of a film that is dull, something we are forced to watch for educational purposes. While The Cove is highly informative, it is certainly not boring. It tells the tale of a team of activists who are trying to capture footage of the dolphin massacre occurring in a cove in Taiji. The task would be simple enough if it was not for the fact that the Japanese working the cove will do anything, even murder, to keep their secret from leaking to the public. From the beginning to the end, the film captivates our attention. Two scenes in particular are very gripping, one which brings the most tension to the film and the other the climax.
The most exciting scene in the film is when the team finally puts their plan into action. They must set up hidden cameras underwater and in the cliffs surrounding the cove. Upon leaving the hotel, the pressure already begins to build as a car starts to follow them. They manage to evade the car, but as they are putting the cameras in place, they spot a patrol heading their way. Not knowing what would happen if they were to be caught, they struggle to flee. Watching this, our hearts begins to race along with the activists’. Will they escape? What will happen if they do not? The Japanese at the cove murdered before, will they dare to do it again? All of these questions linger in our minds as we watch on the edge of our seats. The team does manage to escape, but just barely. As the car speeds away from the cove, a sigh of relief is released.
All of this has been building up to the climax of the film, the scene in which the footage caught by the hidden cameras is revealed. All speculation is finally put to an end as the underwater camera captures the water turn from a sea-green to a blood-red. Along with the activists, we watch as a group of dolphins is senselessly and cruelly put to death with the harsh jabs of harpoons. Now we know the truth, but are we satisfied with this moment? In a way, we are, but at the same time we are not. While there is a sense of accomplishment because we finally know what really happens in the cove, we are horrified by the reality. The footage we had been longing to see the entire film, we almost wish we had never witnessed. There is a strange sense of fulfillment to the climax, a satisfaction we almost feel guilty of due to the violent nature of it.
The Cove brings us on the activists’ journey with them. We feel their fear, their anticipation, and their pain at the sight of the dolphins’ suffering. The peak of the action and tension in the film holds us with baited breath, which we can tentatively release when the mission has been successfully accomplished. Then we gasp in horror as the long awaited footage is shown. We have waited the entire film to see this, so in that we are satisfied. However, considering the carnage is still going on today, how can we truly be contented?
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