LIFE AMONG WHALES, A - DVD review

Without Dr. Roger Payne, we would never have had "Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home" and for that alone I have to thank him.

In the late 1960s, Payne's research changed the way that whales were viewed forever (except maybe by Japanese whalers.) He discovered that whales communicated by song, musical tones that could traverse miles of ocean. Furthermore, he learned that these songs were quite complex and featured repeated themes.

Fortunately the songs were pretty groovy too, particularly to listeners enjoying certain chemical enhancements, and Payne released some of his early recordings on an LP ("Songs of the Humpback Whale") which became a hit. It also served as a rallying point for environmentalists and helped to launch the now famous "Save the Whales" movement.

Presumably the DVD is being re-released now in connection to the theatrical release of "The Cove," the much-praised documentary about a dolphin slaughter in Japan. Where "The Cove" is constructed as an entirely emotional appeal, "A Life Among Whales," directed by Bill Haney, is intended more for informational purposes which means that, unlike "The Cove," it actually offers a few interesting facts about its subjects, both human and sea mammal.

Payne, seen in archival footage and heard in new interviews is a passionate advocate for whales and dolphins, but unlike the protagonists in "The Cove," he doesn't indulge in sloppy and insulting anthropomorphization of the great sea creatures. He respects them as unique animals that display some unusual behavioral traits indicative of an intelligence that is not readily apparently and may separate them from many other animals. He is sober, well-spoken and persuasive in his defense of these sometimes endangered species.

In the documentary's most interesting scene, composer Paul Winter belts out a tune on soprano sax that is taken directly from a theme in one of the whale songs. Dr. Payne accompanies on violin. For Winter, it's a true cross-species collaboration and the whale gets co-credit as composer.

It's a beautiful thought and I wish that "Whales" had explored this topic in even more detail. A rigorous study of the aesthetics of whale songs and their similarities with human-produced music would make for a great feature-length documentary. Perhaps it's already been made and I don't know about it. If anyone knows, please fire out an e-mail.

VIDEO

The documentary is presented in a 1.78:1 full-screen ratio. The interlaced transfer is about average.

AUDIO

The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Stereo. No subtitles are provided.

EXTRAS

There are quite several extras included to beef up this 56-minute program.

First is an informative interview (23 min.) with Dr. Payne and director Bill Haney.

Several activist-oriented shorts are included, two featurettes produced by Dr. Payne's Ocean Alliance group and an IFAW Whale Campaign Video (14 min.) Finally there is a short featurette (6 min.) called "Lethal Sounds" narrated by Pierce Brosnan.

FILM VALUE

"The Cove" is powering its way to an Oscar nomination and possible win thanks to its direct emotional appeal, effective enough that the near total absence of facts and coherent arguments have gone overlooked by Flipper-besotted critics. "A Life Among Whales" isn't nearly as dramatic or elaborately produced as "The Cove," but to me it feels like a more honest and persuasive treatment of a similar subject. The documentary's balance of science and art may not play as well in the activist community, but it proves that a sober and rational approach can be both interesting and emotionally resonant.