Blackfish (2013)

Sometimes these very straight forward CNN produced documentaries can be really effective and affecting. Blackfish makes a strong case against the keeping of Orca's aka Killer Whale's in captivity. Focusing principally on a male Orca named Tilikum, who was kept in captivity almost all of his life at various aquatic parks, the film tells of the horrible suffering and conditions of captive Killer Whales, and of the deaths and injuries of trainers over the decades. These whales, mostly well disposed towards humans in the open waters, and even capable of displaying a fondness for them in captivity, simply aren't meant to locked up, and in cramped conditions and forced to do regular shows for tourists, sometimes they just crack. The talking heads are principally former SeaWorld trainers who expresses regret at participating in the exploitation of these very intelligent and graceful beasts. This is pretty gripping, sometimes rather intense viewing, I got to see it on the big screen as part of a local documentary festival and am confident that seeing these animals closer to their actual size added to the viewing experience. ***1/2