The 70s were filled with films that could be best described as “paranoid thrillers”— ones that ofteninvolved conspiratorial plots, talk of assassination and governmental cover-ups, and where the very nature of political institutions is being questioned. Films likeAll The President’s Men,The Parallax View,andThe Day of the Jackalappeared with mystery and thrills aplenty, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats the entire time.
In1973, one of the stranger and quirkier entries, and one with possiblythe best tagline in cinema history, into the canon of 70s thrillers emerged, starring the Oscar-winningGeorge C. Scott. Scott plays a scientist inThe Day of the Dolphin,a sci-fi political thriller abouta plot to train dolphins to assassinate the President of the United States. The film was one of the firstmarine thrillers to appear in cinemastoo, paving the way forSteven Spielberg’sgame-changingJawsto emerge two years later.The Day of the Dolphin,directed by Mike Nichols, is a distinctly 70s thriller but one that still impresses to this day.
What Is ‘The Day of the Dolphin’ About?
AsThe Day of the Dolphinbegins, Dr. Jake Terrell (Scott) andhis scientist wife, Maggie (Trish Van Devere), are teaching dolphins how to communicate with humans.They teach their dolphin, Alpha, to speak simple English and then teach a female partner, Beta, to communicate the same way. Harold DeMilo (Fritz Weaver), the main funder of the scientist’s research, is blackmailed by a government agent (Paul Sorvino) for access to the research facility. The agent finds out the truth of what’s going on at the facilityand threatens Terrell, who agrees to publish his findings. As they travel to the mainland for a conference, the scientists learn that the conference has been mysteriously canceled and find their dolphins have been dolphin-napped.
The agent reveals that David (Jon Korkes), who has been working at the research facility,has actually been an undercover agent training the dolphinsfor a deadly mission:to kill the President of the United States. Alpha escapes and returns to the Terrells, but the government agents plow on with their plan,attaching a mine to Beta so that she can sink the yacht on which the President is residing. Jake instructs Alpha to stop Beta, which he successfully does, diverting her to the boat of the conspirators, blowing it up in the process.Jake then sets the dolphins free to live in the ocean as he reflects on the film’s events.
“Unwittingly, He Trained a Dolphin to Kill the President of the United States”
The Day of the Dolphinis a fascinating and rather unusual film,often most fondly remembered for its unique and strange premise. The idea ofscientists teaching animalsto communicate through English was a novel concept in the 70s. The film mildly ruminates on the ethics of experimenting on animals—much like this Netflix classicfromBong Joon Ho—as well as animal rights and the nature of intelligence.The bond between humans and animals is central and surprisingly emotional for what is essentially a sci-fi thriller, but that amount of emotional depth in the narrative brings the film up to another level entirely.
George C. Scott, one of the great film actors in history, gives a stellar anchor performance as the passionate scientist devoted to his research.He gives the film a real gravitas, his compassion for the dolphins bringing great emotional weight to the film. However, thereal stars of the film are the two dolphins. Their interactions with humans are both endearing and eerie. The way the film portrays their learning process and personalities gives themmore depth than you’d expect from marine lifein a thriller.
The 10 Best Animal Performances in Movies, According to Reddit
Pawsome performances from purrfect animals.
One of the strongest aspects of the film is its Oscar-nominated score from French composer Georges Delerue.His music is haunting and beautiful. It gives the film a melancholy, almost mystical quality that elevates the storybeyond its thriller trappings. Maritime thrillers such asThe Day of the Dolphinand, most notably,Jaws,are bolstered by brilliant music,bringing the mysteriousness of the ocean to life to an even greater extent. The film’s sound design was also Oscar-nominated, showing thatThe Day of the Dolphinismore than just a thrilling film with a quirky premise, but one of great technical quality as well.
The Day of the Dolphinis not your average thriller.Amongst the government-toppling conspiracies are talking dolphins, passionate scientists, and an elusive financier. But it’s a film with a lot of heart and some interesting ethical and philosophical questions raised throughout, anchored bystrong human and animal performances.Featuring one of cinema’s best taglines,The Day of the Dolphinis streaming for free now onKanopyin the U.S. and is a thrilling film more than worth checking out.
