Gerald Wright's Movie Coverage
THE END OF THE LINE
Directed by: Rupert Murray
Running time: 90 minutes
Release date: June 19, 2009
Genre: Documentary
Distributor: New American Vision/Babelgum
MPAA Rating: Not rated
Based on the book with the same title by Charles Clover on over-fishing in the world, filmmaker Rupert Murray visually reveals the devastating effect that global over-fishing is having on fish stocks and the health of our oceans.
This film, narrated by Ted Danson, is not an anti-fishing film. However, it examines and questions the attitudes of consumers, citizens and companies in order to sustain and replenish seafood. The state of our fisheries and the decline of the fish populations should be a major concern to all of us. The End Of The Line is a cinematic campaign exposing scientific evidence and facts that the political authorities and the general public tends to ignore. As fishing fleets increase, the lack of marine protected areas decrease. The effectiveness of protecting these areas is minimal and often none existent.
From the small villages where fisherman toss out tackles, to the corporate fleets where fishing exceeds the quota, Rupert Murray appraises and comments on management and sustainability. He takes the viewer on a tutorial of the lack of interest and the dishonesty of government agencies that turn their backs to illegal business practices in buying and selling of seafood.
The film also takes a sharp and critical look at the European Union, the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization along with countries such as Spain and Japan who persist on illegal fishing. Expert testimony dating back to the 1950s is documented. The film expertly displays that decades of corporate greed, illogical scientific data and escalating consumer demand makes this crisis an epic problem.
Rupert Murray's eye for cinematography is excellent. The underwater shooting of the various species is fascinating. The corral colors from the different oceanic areas around the world is vivid and exciting. All these details are intertwined with stimulating interviews and shocking facts informing the audience of this dilemma.
This is a highly informative, hard-hitting visual approach on immediate fishing issues that every world citizen should acknowledge, before it's too late.
FILM RATING (B)
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