[yasr_overall_rating]
The camera delves into the lives of local whalers, global activists, and an American journalist in the “whale and dolphin killing town” of Taiji, Japan, revealing not everything is as black and white as it seems.
“A Whale of a Tale” picks up where “The Cove” left off, uncovering the whaling tradition in Taiji, Japan. American journalists and activists go to Japan in the attempt to expose and debate the Japanese regarding their tradition of killing, eating and using whales for water parks such as Sea World.
Apparently, the whale killing tradition in Japan dates back to around the 17th century. It was said to provide income and food for the residents but since the documentary, “The Cove,” became a national success, Taiji has been hit hard with publicity from activist and reporters trying to stop the killing of whales. I loved how the film actually takes you through the history of whaling, how it all began and why. I actually ended up feeling slightly sorry for the people of this town. Not because they are being bombarded with criticism and harassment, but because they actually don’t see killing whales as cruelty, simply a tradition that has been passed down from generations before them.
The film unfolds as an American journalist moves to Japan to get closer to the natives in order to understand their lives; mainly as a gateway to resolve the whaling issue. He gains trust with a few locals and actually finds a small support group with two women that want to help end this practice.
At one point, there is an attempt by the visiting activists to meet with the leaders of the town and come to a resolution. They do meet but it obviously goes nowhere. I was a bit disappointed that they didn’t show more of the local people from the area discussing their traditions and how they really feel about whaling or if they were open to change. I feel like we might have seen others that were actually against this practice and possibly open to not participating in purchasing the meat or attending the water parks.
I left the theater wanting more. I wanted to hear the other side of the story as I felt it was imbalanced. I felt that the movie showed so much hatred from activists that we never got a chance to really understand the opinions of the town’s citizens. Definitely a must-see film but it left me feeling slightly empty.
In theaters Friday, August 17th
