14 DAY TRIAL // American actor James Franco has gotten around to watching “Blackfish,” and, just like “Breaking Bad” star Aaron Paul, he felt compelled to share some of his thoughts on the documentary film.
Aaron Paul might have settled for telling his Tweeter followers that everybody should watch this film, but James Franco appears to be a tad more thorough.
Hence his piecing together an editorial dubbed “The Dark Appeal of ‘Blackfish’” and sharing it with the public just a few days ago, on January 10.
In his editorial, the actor says that, instead of boring its audience, this documentary film manages to shock and awe. All things considered, this is probably why it ended up being as successful as it is, James Franco believes.
“‘Blackfish’ could’ve easily been yet another monotonous ‘save the whales’ documentary where they give us all the facts about the human-created plights of whales both in and out of captivity.”
“Instead of preaching and using pretty but uninspired long-lens shots of whales frolicking peacefully in the ocean, the documentary, like so many successful action and crime movies, relies on visceral violence in the context of the age-old battle of man versus Mother Nature,” the actor writes.
Interestingly enough, James Franco does not go out and say that keeping animals captive and making them perform tricks in front of an audience is wrong. Then again, he does not say it is OK either.
On the contrary, he merely questions claims that marine animals held in captivity at parks such as SeaWorld enjoy perfectly good living conditions, and that activists are exaggerating when they say that they should be freed without delay.
The actor also seems to agree with people who say that, because they are separated from their families and forced to live with individuals they have never met before, marine mammals at amusement parks are bound to throw a fit every once in a while.
“Is it that crazy to think that giant, highly intelligent marine mammals should not be placed in captivity?” the actor asks.
“They live in familial units that are arguably tighter than human families, and they even speak in their own language and dialects. So, when individuals from different pods are mixed together and sandwiched into tight performance pools, things can rapidly become tense and hostile,” he adds.
Head over to Vice.com to read James Franco's “The Dark Appeal of ‘Blackfish’” editorial in full, and share your thoughts in the comments section below.