Oceans (2009)

Directed by: Jacques Perrin, Jacques Cluzaud | 103 minutes | drama, documentary | Dutch voice cast: Gijs Scholten van Aschat

Most of our planet is covered with seawater. It is hardly surprising, then, that the gigantic oceans are home to immeasurably many intriguing life forms. Whether it’s colorful coral reefs, the largest whales in the world or fish of all shapes and sizes, the diversity of species is almost limitless. ‘Oceans’ is an ambitious attempt to show that wealth of marine life to the moviegoer. To ensure success, the French directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud, who had already been much admired with ‘Le peuple migrateur’ (a documentary about migratory birds), were given an astronomical budget of fifty million euros. For four years, the camera teams visited all the major oceans and various territorial waters, tirelessly in search of the most beautiful images and most spectacular animal species. “In keeping with the character of a pristine ocean, we didn’t want to be limited by creative boundaries. The film was supposed to be a true, visual portrait of marine life in all its aspects. Diverse, compelling, raw and aesthetically perfect,” explains Perrin.

Visually, ‘Oceans’ has indeed become a masterful portrait of the modern oceans. White sharks, octopuses, sea lions, humpback whales, green sea turtles and countless other sea creatures cut through the deep blue seas that surround them in crystal clear resolution. Many scenes that ‘Oceans’ conjures up on the screen have previously rarely or never been filmed in this form. How about a huge blue whale that swallows a fiery red krill cloud right in front of your eyes or thousands of giant crabs, which march against each other like arthropod army garrisons, covering hundreds of meters of ocean floor with their bodies. The graceful movements of aquatic acrobats such as bottlenose dolphins, spinner dolphins or sea lions will rarely have been portrayed more elegantly and sharply. Remarkably enough, the narrator in ‘Oceans’ does not provide any information about the various creatures that slide across the screen during the film. Therefore, you must already be well acquainted with the world of marine biology to recognize all animal species. There is no context, which makes the film a collage of breathtaking snapshots rather than a narrative documentary. According to Jacques Perrin, however, this is a very conscious choice. “We have set out from the outset to paint a portrait of ocean life without relying on analyses, figures and theories. We don’t want to educate people, but evoke fascination and wonder in the viewer. If, thanks to our documentary, he or she comes to appreciate the beauty of the underwater world, the viewer will start looking for more information about what he has seen. This will also result in greater engagement and better protection of marine life in a global context,” said Perrin. An explanation of what can be said for it, but nevertheless the documentary could have paid a little more attention to the concept of ecosystems and the importance of individual species for the larger ecological whole.

In 2010, the oceans threaten to collapse under the yoke of human expansion. Overfishing in particular has a heavy impact on the world’s seas. Predatory fish such as bluefin tuna and sharks balance on the edge of the abyss, while marine mammals, sea turtles and birds also regularly die as bycatch in the trawl nets of the mega trawlers. Such ships are sailing fisheries, scouring the turbulent seas in search of anything that brings in money. ‘Oceans’ also devotes the necessary attention to this less pleasant sub-theme. We see, among other things, a blue shark that is thrown back into the deep without fins (the shark is a robot, we are assured at the beginning of the film), swordfish, angelfish and sea turtles dying in fishing nets, a harpooned humpback whale and bleeding dolphins , which are brutally pierced with spears and harpoons. The fact that the scenes in question are reconstructions does not detract from the eloquence of the shocking images, because the abuses shown do or did actually take place. ‘Oceans’ is therefore a strong plea for a living sea and the creation of marine reserves, a much-needed step to preserve the natural wonders shown in the film for future generations.

‘Oceans’ can rightly be called a visual spectacle. The film is a sincere, exuberant ode to life that combines eye-catching images with beautiful music. The print lacks a bit of a clear narrative structure. But oh well, the unique pictures make up for a lot.