by Finnlay Dall
Worth: $12.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
David Attenborough
Intro:
... let down somewhat by its reliance on David Attenborough as a willing and passionate spokesperson
Lining up their release roughly a month before the UN is to determine new international laws around ocean conservation, Ocean reveals the horrors that have flourished out of the commercial fishing industry; and the beauty that it has destroyed in its wake.
Enlisting the help of soon-to-be centenarian, the iconic David Attenborough, the film uses the subtext of a nature documentary to cast the widest net possible. As Attenborough highlights the vast and alien ecosystem that exists underneath our shores, the audience is lulled into a false sense of calm by his familiar, deep and dulcet tones. But while he extols the virtues of our marine life, he makes one thing very clear: at this moment in time, there are only prey in our oceans, and we are the predators.
As we watch a fishing trawler for the first time, its gaping maw of a net swallowing fish, toppling seamounts and shredding through kelp forests and seagrass, we feel as gutted as the seafloor looks.
Attenborough’s BBC documentaries may delve into the cruelty of the world, but it has always been through the lens of natural consequences. Animals die because they are hunted by natural predators, babies are abandoned for the survival of the rest of the pack. As inhumane as life on Planet Earth seems, it is ultimately pragmatic. Here, Attenborough and co. are abundantly transparent: the destruction of our oceans is not a natural part of life. Our fishing habits are not part of the food chain, but are actively destroying it.
Even members of our own species aren’t safe. As John Adams, a local fisherman living off the coast of Liberia, attests, communities like his are often left to starve in trying to compete with seabound factory farms. Every day the fish from his net keep getting smaller and smaller while his biggest hauls often become tainted by the discarded plastic washing up on the shore.
While it is certainly all harrowing information, the film is let down somewhat by its reliance on David Attenborough as a willing and passionate spokesperson. Many sequences are edited to the point of distraction, with loud swells of stock sound effects and music lessening the impact of otherwise beautiful or grotesque moments. And while Attenborough’s charm certainly hasn’t faded, his lack of a BBC writing team and budget are apparent. Repeated footage, talking points and phrases – even flubbed line deliveries – make their way into the film. Additionally, most of his narration is taken straight from the lav mic of his talking head segments, causing an awkward listening experience, even if the golden voice on the other end is a once in a lifetime talent. However, with both Attenborough and the film crew’s time running short (in more ways than one), maybe the repetitive nature of the film, and its rushed development, are part of the greater point. Ocean protection is not a decision to be deliberated on, according to the filmmakers, it is a must; not just for the sea’s survival, but our own.
Despite the documentary’s nihilistic tone, Attenborough still offers a sliver of hope. While the percentage of protected waters lies just under a “negligible” three percent, the oceans which have been protected have “not just recovered, but thrived” within only five years – with their benefits often extending beyond their meagre borders. Species have even come back from the brink of extinction, Attenborough bringing up his own efforts alongside other activists to prevent whaling as a proof that something like this can, and has been done before.
While Ocean with David Attenborough is not as polished as his Planet Earth efforts, at almost 99 years of age, his passion for activism and protecting the beauty of nature has yet to waver. And even though Attenborough admits that he won’t be around much longer, his message stands strong, even if his medium hasn’t.
