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Sharkwater
Toronto-born filmmaker Rob Stewart started his career at the age of thirteen when he started shooting underwater footage. He went on to study biology and worked as a photographer for the Canadian Wildlife Federation where he traveled the world and won a few awards for his work. While he was on assignment in the Galapagos Islands, Stewart discovered how illegal long line fishing was killing off the local shark population. In order to raise the public's awareness in regards to the important role sharks play in our eco-system and about the cruel ways in which they are fished for, he decided, at 22 years old, to make a film. The result is Sharkwater which is one part Herzogian documentary and one part Michael Moore exposé.
The film starts off innocently enough, with Stewart discussing his love for sharks and how they've been unjustly categorized as soulless killing machines through their portrayal in the media and popular culture. Once that's set up and out of the way, however, the film takes a considerably darker turn as Stewart and his crew begin to investigate illegal shark fishing. Millions or sharks are caught each year only to have their fins hacked off and their corpses tossed back into the ocean. Shark fin's can reach up to $200 per pound on the international market thanks to the increasing demand for shark fin soup in China. A lot of fishermen know this and with the lure of big money in front of their eyes, they operate in breach of many nationally and internationally recognized sanctions to protect various parts of the ocean.
Stewart turns his cameras towards this legitimately horrifying practice and takes his crew aboard an animal rights activist ship called the Sea Shepherd. Their intent, to actually go out and physically try and stop shark fin harvesting, lands them in hot water with a angry fisherman, a Guatemalan gun boat, and the Costa Rican coast guard. To make matters worse, Stewart's leg gets infected with the deadly 'flesh eating disease' and he has to go to the hospital just as things are really coming to a boil.
Sharkwater has a few quirks to it that keep it from working as effectively as it could have, and first and foremost in that list is Steward himself. While there's absolutely no doubt as to his qualifications, his expertise or his genuine intentions, there are a few scenes where he comes off as a bit of a pretty boy on camera (the finale where he free drives with the sharks wearing a Speed-O for one). Likewise, his narration is a little monotone and at times sounds a little forced. A few melodramatic and obviously staged scenes, such as Steward yanking the IV out of his arm when he leaves the hospital are obviously intended for dramatic effect but instead come across as a little corny.
That said, where Stewart fumbles as an on-camera narrator, he completely succeeds as a cinematographer. Whatever minor grievances we may have with his hosting abilities are soon forgiven when we get a look at some of the completely stunning underwater footage that this young man has captured. On top of that, the footage of the fishermen and of the shark fin industry is quite shocking and genuinely disturbing. As such, it's also very effective and it drives really home Stewart's points. Some of this footage is about as subtle as a brick to the face, but you've got to give him credit, because it works and it does make you think.
The DVD Video:
Sharkwater hits Blu-ray in a 1080p MPEG-2 anamorphic 1.85.1 widescreen has the same problems as its standard definition counterpart. The first and most obvious being that some of the footage included here has obviously been shot fullframe and then squeezed to fit into the anamorphic frame. This format results in a couple of scenes where people look... squished and strange. The mpeg compression that popped up in the SD version aren't as noticeable here (though you'll still notice them from time to time), and the footage that was shot with HD cameras (primarily the underwater material) looks very, very nice. These scenes are clear and detailed though some of the archival footage is obviously and understandably in worse shape. Color reproduction on the underwater footage is very nice despite a little bit of banding but the transfer fluctuates depending on the source material, as such, the video quality on this release is a mixed bag.
Sound:The English language Dolby Digital 5.1 48kHz 448kbps Surround Sound mix (which is pretty much identical to the one found on the SD release) is more impressive than you'd probably expect from a documentary, even if the absence of an HD Audio track is disappointing. This mix does a really nice job of separating the musical score throughout the channels and building some palpable atmosphere accordingly. Dialogue stays pretty clear throughout and the levels are well balanced. Though some of the musical choices are a little odd, at least they always sound good. An optional English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Surround mix is included on the DVD as are 5.1 and 2.0 tracks in French. Removable English and French subtitles are included for the feature only.
Extras:All of the extras that appear on the SD release of Sharkwater are also found on this Blu-ray release, along with one Blu-ray exclusive, but sadly, everything is presented in standard definition. The primary supplement on this disc is a documentary entitled Sharkwater: Beneath The Surface (16:07) which allows Rob Stewart to discuss his motivations for making the film and his experiences during the production. This very clip heavy featurette covers a lot of the same ground as the film itself and it feels pretty padded but there are a few interesting anecdotes and some decent alternate bits of footage in here that make it worth a look.
Also included is Shark Defense (11:03), a vintage U.S. Air Force training film produced by the Atlas Film Corporation. Here we learn how pilots were taught to survive should they find themselves adrift in shark infested waters. It's interesting and rather amusing to see how the sharks are portrayed here as opposed to how they're portrayed in the feature.
Exclusive to this Blu-ray release and not available on the SD disc is Virtual Ocean (referred to on the packaging as Virtual Underwater Gallery), a keen twenty-minute montage of HD underwater footage (most of which appears to have been used in the film) set to some ambient music. There's no context or narration here, it's simply a collection of truly beautiful underwater footage showcasing whales, sharks, squid, schools of fish and other forms of underwater life.
Rounding out the extras are three television spots for the film, a theatrical trailer, animated menus (in French or English) and chapter selection.
Final Thoughts:Despite its flaws, Sharkwater tells an interesting story and very obviously has its heart in the right place. The film also contains some remarkable (and sometimes unflinchingly cruel) real life footage that absolutely makes it worth a look for shark buffs or underwater footage fanatics and this Blu-ray release is a noticeable upgrade from the SD release in the visuals department even if it still isn't perfect. Recommended.
Ian lives in NYC with his wife where he writes for DVD Talk, runs Rock! Shock! Pop!. He likes NYC a lot, even if it is expensive and loud.
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