Written by David Dufour, Image courtesy of National Geographic Films
When you think of old Hollywood, you might think of those early adventure films — “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” “Journey to the Center of the Earth” — where they had crude stage props designed to look like other worlds. The great actors from that era brought those worlds to life, but they were never as honest as Jacque Cousteau’s first movie, “The Silent World,” which was a documentary-style adventure film showing his life at sea.
In Liz Garbus’ latest film, “Becoming Cousteau,” she paints an unflinching portrait of a complicated man with a lust for life. This National Geographic film wrestles with big ideas, such as fatherhood, the desire to explore and environmental awareness. Garbus lets us see Cousteau as more than a folk hero. In this movie, he’s also a human being, flawed and complicated. We are given an intimate look into his personal life, his wife and children who he admittedly did not take care of, while also seeing his close relationship to his ship’s crew.
There’s a distinct shift from his early years of ocean exploration where he was a rugged, fearless nomad. Towards the halfway point of the documentary, we see Cousteau’s rise to fame as a filmmaker and TV star, followed by the environmental activism he pursued in his later years. From his early memories of spearfishing, to proposing the idea of underwater civilizations, “Becoming Cousteau” shows Cousteau’s larger-than-life exploits as grand.
Cousteau’s knack for adventure was almost a sickness. He even described swimming and water as being “like heaven.” In many ways, his obsessions became his greatest strength. They guided him towards success not only as a contributor to science but as a filmmaker.
It’s refreshing when a documentary portrays a complex subject with empathy. Garbus never tries to expose Cousteau’s darkness or worship his success. It’s just honest and clear storytelling.
Garbus takes us through his environmental activism. Following the deaths of both his wife and son, Cousteau became cynical. Around this time, his TV deal with ABC was cancelled due to the shows becoming increasingly dark. As his career as a TV filmmaker was winding down, he moved forward by pursuing ocean preservation and activism. Cousteau met with world leaders such as George H.W. Bush and Fidel Castro to discuss the possibility of a clean ocean. Maybe it was the guilt. He had been so eaten up, his mind filled with dread thinking about the death of the ocean. Activism was his chance to redeem himself.
On the first ever Earth Day, he spoke to world leaders about the urgent problems facing the ocean, while stressing how important it was that people take action sooner rather than later. Cousteau’s transition from bold nomad to protector of the earth becomes a metaphor at the crux of the documentary. Garbus uses Cousteau’s passion for the environment and transition from careless adventurer, as a metaphor for our responsibilities to the planet right now.
