Cinema and Society Essay: Free Willy 1
             Free Willy was a box office smash when it came out in 1993. It had all the elements needed to satisfy its general audience, and provided great entertainment value for the whole family. But if we look past the entertainment value, we could focus on the greater issue. This film was not just set out to entertain, but also to shine light on a very grim situation and environmental issue. This issue is the entrapment of wild animals for entertainment purposes. We see it almost everywhere. It's in zoos, circuses, movies, television programs, sport team mascots, etc. In this essay I will touch on the major issues addressed in this film and what impact they have had on society. I will then explore the film by taking a more cinematic approach in evaluating its quality.
             The major theme in this movie is animal entrapment. The movie deals with a 3 ton orca whale named Willy. An aquatic park captures the whale from the Pacific Ocean and holds it captive with hopes of making huge profits of it. They plan on making Willy into a performing whale set out to entertain thousands of people. The whale is treated like a commodity and when they realize that he is no longer profitable, the owners make plans to kill the whale and collect on a large insurance policy. This theme of animal entrapment is a very serious one. Zoos and circuses have been heavily criticized by activists for their capture and treatment of animals. Animal entrapment can be considered a form of animal cruelty just like factory farming and animal testing. It's nothing short of cruel to remove an animal from its natural habitat and force it to live and perform under unnatural settings and conditions. However, this is the reality that so many animals must face.
             After the 1993 release of Free Willy, the public responded and wanted to release whales from captivity. The movie was successful in creating awareness of the issue. However, ...