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“The Blackfish” Film: Summary of the Film Essay (Critical Writing)

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Introduction

The Blackfish is a 2013 film that documents the captivity of whales by humans and shows the dangers of this controversial act to both humans and whales. It tells the story of Tilikum, a killer whale that causes the death of three people in the film, including Dawn Brancheau, a well-trained whale trainer, while in captivity. The death of these three trainees prompts a court case between two parties, namely, OSHA and Sea World. This court case and a series of interviews that follow seek to find an explanation for what happened. The documentary illustrates the dangers of capturing and keeping dangerous animals such as Tilikum, the whale, for human entertainment.

How a Character’s Decision Exemplifies a Particular Ethical Theory

The main ethical theory exemplified in Blackfish’s film is virtue ethics. The former SeaWorld trainer, John Hargrove, is a character who demonstrates his care for animals by pushing for the release of sufficient funds to be used to renovate the pools where /the captured whales are kept. John questions SeaWorld by asking them to explain why the killer whales captured are still kept in “sterile concrete pools’. According to this character, that should not be the case if the main goal of whale captivity was animal care. On the other hand, the owners of SeaWorld begin a program of capturing whales from the sea in the film. Apart from human entertainment, the reason for captivity is the animal rescue of whales from the wild sea. SeaWorld takes a step to spend substantial cash on rescue efforts and care for the captured whales. John Hargrove believed that killer whales are almost as intelligent as humans. This was because both are mammals and have the same IQ to plan and execute a murder, just like Tilikum did.

He pushed for the compassionate treatment of whales since he felt that it was enough that the captured whales had been separated from their kind in the sea. In addition, whales can develop and maintain relationships with humans and interact with them in SeaWorld, skills that John appreciated. These skills, according to John, benefited SeaWorld a great deal since the institution became a center of attraction for people. It was, therefore, ethical that SeaWorld took care of the whales.

How the Film Relates To The Issue At Hand

The issue at hand is virtue ethics as well as problems that are related to wild animals being captured. Capturing wild animals is done either for entertainment or scientific studies. Wild animals may be captured to save endangered species from poachers or predators as well. Captivity can, however, describe forcefully taking animals from their original habitat, homes, or institutions for domestication or entertainment. Since the domestication of wild animals is geared toward protecting the species, it can pose a risk to both humans and wild animals. In the case of Tilikum, the baby whale was separated from its mother at a young age and taken to a strange place where it was forcefully made to adapt to the environment. The pressure the captured animals face causes them to be aggressive and hyperactive. In the case of Tilikum, the aggression could have caused him to kill the trainers with the view of defending himself. Therefore, humans must develop compassion for animals since they have equal rights and opportunities as human beings as well.

The Character That Makes an Ethical Choice

In the film, John Hargrove, a character, Blackfish, decides to push SeaWorld to use funds to take proper care of the captured whales. According to John, it is unfair that the whales stay under poor conditions, yet the institution benefits from them. He argues that capturing the whales from their natural habitat is a form of injustice to them, and it is fair that these animals should be given the proper care, love, and compassion they deserve. John’s decision to fight for the rights of whales is indeed a virtue and ethical choice that every person should emulate. If indeed Tilikum was given the love he deserved, he would not have adopted traits such as aggression (an act of defense) that led him to kill the three trainers. The death of the trainers is a realization for people, in general, to practice virtue ethics while dealing with captured animals.

The Philosopher Who Takes a Position on the Issue At Hand

The ancient Greek philosophers Aristotle and others created virtue ethics. It is the pursuit of understanding and living a morally upright life. This perspective on ethics based on personality suggests that individuals gain goodness via experience. An individual acquires an upright and virtuous character via the practice of being truthful, and courageous. Aristotle argues that through cultivating ethical practices, individuals are more inclined to make the correct decision when confronted with ethical dilemmas. Aristotle’s viewpoint is evident through the characters such as Lori Marino. Blackfish, who champions the right treatment of whales, especially when they are captured. Lori illustrates that just like humans, whales also have a culture and a family, and therefore they need to be treated justly (Stigile-Wright et al. 424). He says, in an interview, “Whales have their way of doing things. They learn from their family members and community how to do things. In case of a capture, the love and compassion they would have been given had they been with family should be given to them by humans.”

Works Cited

Stigile-Wright, Bran. “Old Neighbors, New Neighbors: Terrestrial Nonhuman Persons and SETI.” Theology and Science, vol. 19, no. 4, 2021, pp. 422-433.

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