ENG 105 Blog #6

A Film About the Journey, and the Destination

The Documentary The Cove (2009) directed by Louie Psihoyos is a film about the making of a documentary exposing the dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan. The majority of the film is not just the actual footage that the team, advised by anti-dolphin cruelty activist Richard O’Berry, collected, but also shows how the activists got their footage. This gives The Cove the opportunity to emphasize the need for change and encourage others to take an active role in bringing it about.

By filming the activists who worked to gain the footage necessary for the documentary, The Cove is able to have characters even though it is a documentary. Having characters gives the film more opportunities to use pathos to gain stronger support from the audience. This allowed the various different activists to tell the audience why they care about dolphins, as well as why all humans should. There stories and their visible passion for dolphins are very beneficial to The Cove’s goal to motivate people to take action against the dolphin slaughter in Taiji and adds passion to the documentary, that footage of the dolphin slaughter alone may not have.

The many testimonies filmed are particularly useful in personifying dolphins. The beautiful footage of dolphins, swimming and surfing while the male surfer activist describes a dolphin saving his life, builds pathos by helping viewers to consider dolphins to be both intelligent and human-like. Richard O’Berry describes the human tendencies and ability to make distinctions that Cathy possessed and this point is made much more impactful by also showing his passion in action as he makes this documentary. Comparing and relating dolphins to humans gives justification for the activists to break the law to save the dolphins. This makes the viewers feel sympathy when the surfers are arrested and when free-diver Mandy Cruickshank sees the blood coming from the cove, as well as a frustration towards the Japanese authorities for covering the situation up. These moments are among the many instances in which showing the making of the documentary builds pathos to help persuade the viewers.

Because the documentary shows the process of getting this footage, the viewer witnesses the danger that the activists are subjected to which helps to depict them as heroes.  Showing the heroism of the activists helps to inspire and encourage the audience to take action. This documentary shows these activists risking their freedom and lives. The viewer sees the Japanese pushing the activists, and threatening them with knifes. They are followed by cars and frequently questioned by the police. Showing and glorifying the bravery of these activists helps the film inspire others to take action. By showing the serious danger that the activists brave, the action that is asked of the viewer seems much smaller and easier.

By filming what the activists went through in order to find the truth, the viewer has a greater appreciation for the findings of these activists. Rather than simply reporting the information found, the film creates has people that the audience can care for, fear for, and most importantly admire. Additionally, this documentary was effective in inspiring viewers to take an active role in changing the situation in Taiji. Essentially, The Cove has the benefit of being a documentary and showing real life footage of the dolphin slaughter, as well as having a plot with different characters, making it a dynamic and compelling piece of work.

ENG 105 Blog #5

Man Cannot Replace What God has Created Perfectly

             If a picture is worth a thousand words, It is hard to imagine how much the film Koyaanisqatsi (1983), directed by Godfrey Reggio, is worth. Although the film is void of words, it makes a statement. The film argues that despite the beauty and greatness that can be found in technology, it cannot surpass the beauty of the natural world or replace it.

            The film shows the infinite detail and constant change in earth, water, fire, and air. The plants are continuously growing, the water is always moving, fire is flickering faster than our eyes can comprehend, and the land is constantly being changed by all of the other elements. To contrast the constant changes and movement in nature the film switches abruptly from a scene of rolling white clouds, to the dark coalmines with smoke filled air and a bulldozer approaching the camera. This contrast emphasizes the beauty of nature and the darkness and danger of technology. The juxtaposition of nature and industry scenes, shows the inferiority of technology’s detail in comparison to nature’s.

            The point of making these distinctions is not to depict technology as the ultimate evil of the world, but rather to show that even though man has made great accomplishments, nature is supremely powerful and intricate. The film shows many scenes where technology is imitating nature. For example, the film shows a skyscraper towering high above, reflecting the blue sky and clouds to show how the building imitates the sky. However, the film includes footage of great buildings collapsing in a matter of seconds, which argues that even though man’s accomplishments may be great, they are still not as powerful and timeless as nature.

            The film does an excellent job of portraying technology’s impact on society and how man made structures have diminished much of natures beauty. The accretion of scenes serves to build this story. Scenes, starting with the scenes of enormous awe inspiring canyons and dessert landscapes, then followed by a scene showing people laying on the beach then panning out to show that the beach is right by a nuclear power plant, followed by a scene in which a bird’s eye view shows the straight lines creating basic shapes of water and flat land that have been created around the plant by man, collectively show the story of how man has altered the beauty of randomness with the straight lines and simplified shapes. Later, the scene of a nuclear bomb being tested adds to the same story by showing how terribly wrong the technology implemented by man can go. This scene shows how the bomb poisons the landscape and tree, and represents technology’s poisoning and destruction of nature in general.

            The skillful selection of the order of scenes is crucial in relaying the film’s arguments to its viewers. Also, the way that different scenes are shown in succession to one another gives the film the ability to show changes being made, in order for the viewer to note the change to the natural world that is caused by technology. By using all film, Koyaanisqatsi offers nothing but evidence, which has helped me agree with the film’s argument. This film was both intelligently, and beautifully put together to show that humans should not allow technology to attempt to replace nature.