In this blog post, we’ll explore how the documentary ‘Oceans’ portrays the relationship between humans and nature through majestic ocean landscapes and the lives of marine creatures, and ultimately, what responsibilities and questions it poses to us.
Sequence Analysis
Waves roll in over the vast, endless ocean. On screen, five or six children run toward the sea, and one of the boys stops in his tracks, gazing out at the water. The camera shows the ocean as if from the boy’s perspective, and an omniscient narrator appears to reveal what the boy is thinking. “What is the sea, really?” The camera then zooms in on the boy’s face, and the narrator begins to address that question. The narration flows over footage of crashing waves. “You won’t find the answer in a book. To know what the real sea is, you have to see it for yourself. You have to hear it, taste it, and feel its power. To truly know the ocean, you have to live it.” This is followed by the words “You have to live it,” as a scene of crashing waves appears, and the film’s title, “Oceans,” appears on screen.
In the next scene, a marine iguana appears, and the story continues. The narrator compares human life—which has experienced only a tiny fraction of the vast ocean—to the life of a marine iguana. The marine iguana, which had been swimming underwater, climbs onto land, and the narrator explains that the ocean is a space that holds meaning beyond being a mere location. The image of the marine iguana perched on a rock is followed by a blue crab, swept ashore by the incoming tide, moving slowly. Next, a sea turtle comes ashore, and the camera zooms in on its face. The narrator describes its eyes as “eyes from prehistoric times.” Clouds roll in, darkening the land, and the narration continues: “As humans reach for the stars, everything in nature seems to have been cast aside.” As marine iguanas gaze at the sky in the darkness, a rocket launches beyond the horizon. Scenes of the rocket traversing space follow, and the narrator says, “The farther we try to see, the farther we try to go, no one has ever found a place out there like our ocean. But we have discovered a new galaxy—in a place we never expected: the ocean.” The following scene looks like space, but it soon becomes clear that it is actually the ocean. Sea urchin larvae resemble asteroids, and crustacean eggs look like unknown planets. As jellyfish swim gracefully, the narration “New life adapts and evolves” plays, and the underwater world expands into a mysterious atmosphere.
The film then shows the intense movement of life unfolding beneath the waves. Describing a scene where sunlight reflects off the water, the narrator says, “The sea smiles up at the sky.” A pod of dolphins moves swiftly, and a school of sardines swims in a massive swarm. A flock of seagulls cuts across the sky before diving sharply into the water, while the sardines change direction in perfect unison. The sight of seagulls diving into the sea like arrows evokes images of a battle scene. Sharks then appear to hunt the sardines, while a massive whale passes by. The whale surfaces, flips over, and the fast-paced music shifts to a calmer tone. Seagulls perch on the water’s surface, and the whale floats there. The narration continues: “ When all this is over, the dolphins, birds, sharks, and whales have all filled their bellies. But countless sardines have survived, and life goes on.”
The film then highlights the beauty of the ocean depths. Thousands of sardines move in a massive circular formation, and a manta ray glides through them. A creature fluttering like a piece of cloth appears, and the narrator says: “Did the explorers sailing the seas ever imagine that a silk scarf, the likes of which they had never seen before, might be rippling beneath them in the ocean?” The creature is a “blanket octopus,” swimming gracefully through the sea. Next, tens of thousands of fish move in a massive school, creating a spectacular underwater scene. The film emphasizes that the ocean is not merely a space for survival, but a world of astonishing beauty and dignity.
The film also draws parallels between the lives of marine creatures and human life. Scenes of sea lions resting on the sandy beach and humpback whales caring for their calves and teaching them how to breathe illustrate the cycle of life across generations. During the day, hunting and play continue beneath the waves, and when night falls, other creatures emerge. Moonlight filters through the coral reefs, and sea urchins, crabs, starfish, and hermit crabs move about in their own ways. The battle between a mud crab and a crab unfolds with the tension of a duel scene in a movie. Next, a sea snail known as the “Spanish Dancer” swims, its shell undulating like a flamingo’s skirt.
The next scene reveals the structure of the food chain. As newly hatched sea turtle hatchlings make their way to the ocean, frigatebirds prey on them. However, some of the hatchlings eventually reach the sea. Next, sailfish hunt fish, and scenes of hunting and symbiotic relationships among various marine creatures follow. A scene where small fish enter the mouth of a large fish to clean between its teeth illustrates the unique relationships within the ecosystem. Next, spider crabs march like soldiers to build a massive tower.
However, the film’s tone gradually shifts. Following a scene where a humpback whale creates a bubble net to hunt, a massive human-made fishing net appears. Bluefin tuna are trapped inside the nets, unable to escape, and various marine creatures are caught and killed alongside them. Scenes of turtles and whales struggling in the nets follow, and the seawater turns red. Then, satellite images reveal that pollutants flowing from rivers are sickening the ocean. Human trash floats on the surface of the sea, and a supermarket shopping cart lies sunk beneath the waves. A seal lingers nearby before swimming away.
Nevertheless, the film does not conclude on a completely hopeless note. In the Antarctic seas, penguins swim among the icebergs, and polar bears walk across the ice. Narwhals and beluga whales appear, revealing that the ocean is still alive. Next, divers enter the water, swimming alongside marine life to observe this world. As a diver passes by a shark, the narrator says, “A world where our greatest fears become meaningless.” At the film’s conclusion, the boy who appeared at the beginning reappears. “The air and water we breathe depend on a healthy ocean. And now, the life of the ocean depends on us.” Next, images of various creatures—sharks, sardines, seagulls, seals, whales, and octopuses—flash by, and a final question is posed: “Perhaps, rather than asking what the ocean is, we should be asking who we are.”
The Film’s Vitality, Strengths, and Weaknesses
The film’s greatest strength lies in its structure and pacing.
People rarely take an interest in things they don’t like. That is why the director barely touches on the topics of humans and environmental pollution until the latter half of the film. Up until the midpoint, the film focuses entirely on the mystery and beauty of marine life. Thanks to this structure, the audience naturally develops a fondness for the ocean. And just when the audience’s hearts have already sided with the ocean, the director reveals the problems caused by humans. At this point, the audience naturally resonates with the message.
Furthermore, despite being a documentary, this film employs a style of direction similar to that of a feature film. Scenes such as seagulls and sardines hunting, baby turtles struggling to survive, spider crabs marching, and the duel between a rock crab and a crab are composed with the same tension as a feature film. The music also enhances the sense of mystery and tension, perfectly matching the atmosphere of each scene.
What makes this film particularly impressive is that it conveys its message through affection rather than emphasizing fear or despair. Rather than highlighting scenes of brutal environmental destruction, the director shows the beauty of the ocean that still exists today and conveys the message that we must protect it.
However, there are some drawbacks. The film is narration-driven from start to finish, but by the latter half, the narration feels somewhat excessive. In particular, in the scenes featuring penguins, polar bears, glaciers, and divers alongside sharks, I can’t help but feel that the film could have left a more powerful impression if it had cut back on the exposition and focused more on the scenes themselves.
Personal Reflections
Let’s ask the question again. What exactly is the ocean? This film made me wonder if it was actually posing the question, “Who are we?” Perhaps I already knew the answer to that question. The reason I became interested in the ocean and the deep sea is that it is the story of the world I live in. And that connects to the question the film poses at the end: Who are we? The ocean is deeply connected to humanity’s life and future, and humanity’s life, in turn, depends on the health and future of the ocean. So, what is the ocean? The ocean might ultimately be ourselves.
This film gave me a profound realization. While watching the latter half of the film, I found myself shedding a few tears without even realizing it. It was because I didn’t want to lose this sublime ocean and nature. The director succeeded in moving my heart. Now, the ocean is no longer just a subject of mere interest to me. It is our story that we must protect. And if we fail to protect it, ultimately, a healthy future will not exist for us either.
