In this blog post, I will summarize the film details, structure, formal characteristics, and my personal impressions of the documentary film ‘The Cove: The Sad Truth About Dolphins’ (2009).
Film Information
Title: The Cove: The Sad Truth About Dolphins (The Cove, 2009) Director: Louie Psihoyos Screenplay: Mark Monroe Cast: Joe Chisholm, Mandy-Ra Cruickshank This documentary exposes the dolphin hunt and slaughter taking place in Taiji, a small fishing village in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. The film highlights the tension between humans’ emotional bond with dolphins and the interests of tourism and commerce, following the director and his team as they attempt to convey this cruel reality to the audience through breathtaking covert filming.
Reason for Selection
I chose this film because I remember how nature documentaries I watched as a child sparked a strong interest in film, and I particularly enjoy documentaries that observe animals and ecosystems. This film shows animals being indiscriminately sacrificed due to human selfishness, prompting viewers to reflect. While I enjoy eating meat myself, I believe there is a difference between making informed choices and acting out of ignorance. All life on Earth has meaning, and I hope this film encourages people to reflect on human cruelty and adopt a more responsible attitude.
Sequence Summary
Sequence 1: The film begins by showing the scenery of Taiji, Japan, known as a beautiful dolphin village. In contrast to the tranquil fishing village setting, the protagonist Rick appears in disguise with a tense expression, introducing the “Dolphin Graveyard”—a restricted area—and capturing the audience’s attention.
Sequence 2: Rick’s background and activities are presented through an interview format. Rick recounts his experiences freeing captured dolphins and attempting to release dolphins from government research facilities, revealing that he has a history of being arrested for these actions. Cases of fellow activists being killed are also presented, illustrating just how dangerous Rick’s work is.
Sequence 3: Rick confesses to his past involvement in the dolphin industry. A former dolphin hunter, he mentions that some of the dolphins he caught appeared in the TV series “Flipper” and reflects on his mistake of failing to recognize the high intelligence of dolphins.
Sequence 4: Dolphin shows appear glamorous on the surface, but in reality, they are filled with stress. Captive dolphins are given medication to alleviate stress or live in artificial environments, and the film contrasts their lives with those of wild dolphins through comparative footage. It explains, using examples such as the mass dolphin deaths in Baltimore, that dolphins’ highly developed hearing can make audience cheers or mechanical noise a source of great distress.
Sequence 5: The film shows how these highly sensitive dolphins are captured in Taiji, Japan. It explains that Taiji is the world’s largest exporter of dolphins and highlights the economic value of these animals. Rick reveals that while he once sold dolphins himself, he began his conservation work after his dolphin “Kathy” committed suicide due to stress.
Sequence 6: The documentary exposes Japan’s indifference to the dolphin slaughter and the loopholes in international organizations. It takes issue with the International Whaling Commission (IWC)’s allowance of whaling for research purposes and points out the reality that the dolphin issue is not being properly addressed due to political and economic interests.
Sequence 7: The slaughter site in Taiji has long been shrouded in secrecy due to interference not only from fishermen but also from local governments and national agencies. Attempts to legally expose Taiji fail, leading them to ultimately decide on covert filming. While pondering filming methods, they find inspiration in the rock gardens of a Japanese temple.
Sequence 8: With the help of a film special effects team, Rick and his crew assemble a team featuring various tools—such as stone-shaped cameras, dolphin-shaped filming equipment, and thermal imaging cameras—as well as freedivers and former military personnel, preparing an operation worthy of being called “Ocean’s Eleven.”
Sequence 9: The narration introduces the claim by Taiji fishermen that “dolphin meat is eaten just like beef,” but refutes this as far from the truth. It is revealed that dolphin meat contains high levels of mercury, and some studies have detected levels far exceeding safety standards. Despite this, countless dolphins are killed every year for consumption and sale.
Sequence 10: The dangers of mercury contamination are illustrated through the case of Minamata disease. It presents a historical example where industrial wastewater polluted the ocean, causing toxic substances to accumulate in seafood and resulting in serious harm, such as neurological damage and birth defects, but the government’s delayed response was the root of the problem.
Sequence 11: Tension builds as Rick and his team discuss the possibility of being arrested in Japan and the risks involved.
Sequence 12: They reveal that their goal goes beyond mere reporting; it is to move people’s hearts. For example, the incident where whale songs echoed through Trafalgar Square is introduced as a case that sparked an environmental movement.
Sequence 13: Rick’s team sneaks into a bay closed to outsiders and installs an underwater listening device. They are discovered by a tailer, leading to a police investigation the next day, but Rick maintains his innocence until the end.
Sequence 14: The film emphasizes the importance of trying to understand dolphin language and signals rather than humans unilaterally trying to teach them. It plays the sounds of distressed dolphins directly to highlight the importance of empathy.
Sequence 15: Japan claims that dolphin hunting has reduced its catch, but other countries do not support this claim. The documentary exposes political maneuvers by Japan, such as providing economic aid to small nations to secure their votes and gain support at the IWC.
Sequence 16: An interview with the former Minister of Fisheries of the Dominican Republic points to political and imperialistic tendencies, as well as a desire to maintain power, as reasons for not abandoning the dolphin industry. It implies that the whaling issue is linked to political calculations rather than simple resource management.
Sequence 17: The Japanese government even supplies dolphin meat free of charge for school lunches as a propaganda tool, while concealing the fact of dangerous mercury contamination. A conscientious city council member in Taiji exposes the severity of this issue, and Rick declares he will stop it.
Sequence 18: Rick and his team set up all their equipment in Taiji and begin their operation.
Sequence 19: The installed equipment records the brutal scenes of the dolphin slaughter. The dolphins struggle to escape, while people on the boats attack them with harpoons. Taiji Bay is stained with blood, and the scene is deeply shocking.
Sequence 20: Rick reflects on his own reckless past when he sold dolphins for money, and vows to continue the fight by showing the footage of the slaughter to member nations at the IWC conference.
Format
This film is an investigative documentary in the style of a reportage. Interviews, narration, and archival footage frequently intersect to construct a narrative around the events. The interviews create an emotional connection through the voices of those with firsthand experience, while the narration explains technical details that viewers might not understand in an accessible way. However, the most powerful persuasive force comes from the vivid archival footage. By contrasting images of captive dolphins with footage of wild dolphins swimming freely, the film stirs the audience’s emotions and draws them into the story.
Reflections
My heart ached throughout the entire film. The fact that approximately 23,000 dolphins are slaughtered every year, and the scenes of the blue sea turning blood-red, make one reflect not merely on an animal issue but on violence committed for human profit. Comparing this film to our society’s dog meat culture was an extension of that line of thought. Just as I agree with the argument that dogs should be called friends and protected, I also sympathize with the claim that dolphins should be protected due to their intelligence and sensitivity. At the same time, however, I felt that all animals deserve respect.
Just as I saw in Peter Singer’s book regarding the cruelty of factory farming, many animals are sacrificed in cramped spaces for human gain. As beings capable of rational thought, I felt that humans must show greater consideration toward animals and plants and make efforts to reduce unnecessary suffering.
