Extremely well made doc, and it's up for an Oscar.

Yes, it's an amazing movie!

I had some problems with it. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up whenever we judge one culture's slaughter of animals and fail to point the finger back at ourselves. Also a result of the film I have heard things like boycott Toyota (whose cars are made in the U.S.) and boycott Sony.

The best I can do is refer y'all to this piece 'Nationality, Race and Animal Rights'

http://animalrights.about.com/b/2010/01/13/nationality-race-and-animal-rights.htm

Aside from that there were some specific issues I disagreed with. The film claims people in Japan are largely unaware they are eating dolphin meat and I have heard this is not accurate. It also misrepresented the relationship between whale slaughter and dolphin slaughter.

It also continually referred to dolphin hunters as "fisherman" - dolphins are not fish.

And personally I felt it was weak on the responsibility of Americans who like to go to marine parks or swim with dolphins while they're on vacation. We may not eat dolphin meat but we are very much involved.

I agree with your sentiments Suasoria. I believe the general thrust of the movie is in a positive direction, that is expanding our awareness and circle of love, opening peoples hearts to the fundamental worth of another group of living beings, working towards harmony with the environment etc.

However I felt it's scope was a little narrow, especially in regards to respecting the Japanese. My immediate reaction to the movie, even from just previews before I'd watched the film, was "I hope the people involved are at the very least vegetarian, because I don't see very much difference between eating a cow and eating a dolphin." Especially the director. Full credit to him for finding a higher cause that he is passionate about, I just hope he has made the connection that other animals too are conscious sentient beings.

Remaining on the topic of the Japanese for a second, I'm lucky to have somewhat of a unique insight into the Japanese perspective. Having recently lived in japan for over 15 months and having been living together with my Japanese girlfriend for the past 2+ years. Both of us watched earthlings and made major dietary changes. From that frame of reference many of the claims and judgements reviewers of The Cove are making seem very hypocritical and very ethnocentric, unless the reviewers and especially the film makers are holding themselves to the same high standards across the board.

I can appreciate that dolphins, along with enigmatic animals such as pandas, polar bears, tigers etc, are much more endearing and thereby easier for humans to form an emotional connection to. So taking baby steps towards expanding the circle of love is better than taking no steps at all. However I can't help but wonder if some of the dolphin compassion is being driven by the fact that there are no barriers to people giving support. By that I mean that very few people have any eating habits or deep cultural history in regards to eating dolphins that would force them to change their behaviour or morally re-evalute their lives.

Have you ever shown Earthlings to other people? Have you ever gone further and actually forced someone to watch it or even tried to force them to take up a vegan diet? Most of us havn't tried to force these things, but you can imagine the resistance you'd get from a steak loving person, even a friend of family member. They are just going to dig in their heels and resent you for pressuring a complete change in their lifestyle just because you think its a good idea. Now imagine if its not a friend pressuring another friend, but the judgement and pressure are being done by some random person in a foreign country, who doesn't even speak English, let alone understand your country's culture. Telling you that your whole country's position is morally wrong and must be changed.

Say Earthlings had been made by Japanese producers, (with Japanese commentary) and they directed it at the US saying the US must change immediately. Do you think there'd be just a bit of resistance? Industry totally shut Earthlings down, do you think they'd be any more open if it was even US citizins, but some non English speaking country who had made the film?
To me it seems so obvious that the dolphin industry is digging its heels in, and won't budge, even if its partly on nationalistic principle. They feel they are being hypocritically bullied.

The movie will actually be SHOWN IN CINEMAS in Japan, which just goes to show how good sports they are being about it.

Anyway, something I'd like to do is together with my girlfriend write a letter in Japanese to "Whale Town" Taiji council, saying basically what I've said here, with a copy of the Earthlings DVD. Imagine if they mention it in the press and it gets international exposure!
So I have a question, having only watched it on Youtube, maybe someone knows. Does the DVD have Japanese subtitles?

Absolutely. The cultural implications are not to be ignored - and were skewered well in a recent "South Park" episode.

Apparently there are subtitles in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Italian and Hindi. Not Japanese. Perhaps you know someone who could volunteer to do it?

My girlfriend could probably do it. Do you know anything about how this would be done? I'm reasonably tech savy but have no software for it and no experience recording or doing major edits to movie.