The Day of the Dolphin Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Day of the Dolphin Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 4, 2021

Mike Nichols' "The Day of the Dolphin" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage trailer for the film; new audio commentary by critic Sheldon Hall; new programs with actor Jon Korkes and second assistant director Michael Haley; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

"Pa, Pa, Pa"

If you conclude that the events that are chronicled in Mike Nichols’ film The Day of the Dolphin are devoid of realism, it should be quite easy for you to find plenty of people that agree with you. But it will be only because you and the people that agree with you actually do not know much about the experiments George C. Scott’s character, marine biologist Dr. Jake Terrell, and his assistants perform on the secluded island. Now, I would admit that I don’t know whether or not these types of experiments are legal in the United States at the moment, but there was a time when the military was definitely exploring certain possibilities. It had to be done because overseas these types of experiments were some of the worst kept secrets. For example, during the Cold War the Soviets would frequently leak information about clandestine programs where dolphins were trained to become intelligent superspies and kamikazes. (Whether the information was leaked by a lazy military apparatchik that failed to follow protocol or was planned propaganda by the Kremlin is debatable, but people on both sides of the Iron Curtain knew what was being done). The superspies would be used to enter heavily-guarded military areas or approach moving submarines and ships to collect sensitive information, while the kamikazes would basically hit risky targets on demand. Interestingly, even though the Cold War officially ended a few decades ago, this type of information is again being leaked, which suggests that somewhere there are still people like Dr. Terrell doing the same type of work. (This article about a Russian spy whale from 2019 isn’t exactly shocking news, but keep in mind that this is a low-level spy. There have been rumors that the Chinese military has been using some pretty remarkable pros in surveillance operations for quite some time).

In the film, Nichols spends a great deal of time on the evolving relationship between Dr. Terrell and two very intelligent dolphins, and only towards the end introduces an interesting but quite predictable twist that points to the practices that are mentioned above. The film is shot this way because the viewer needs to see that the training where the dolphins embrace the humans is a long process of building trust on both sides, and this is precisely what makes it intriguing and disturbing -- the mammals are tricked to accept that the other side is every bit as genuine as they are, which means that their survival instincts become useless. The rest is essentially cinematic fluff of the kind that these types of films need to appear attractive to the masses.

The only truly problematic material in the film is the one where the security procedures on the island begin to fail and for some odd reason Dr. Terrell and his assistants can’t immediately see the incoming danger. They are fully aware that their accomplishments could be compromised by bad players, but somehow, they haven’t considered the scenario that unleashes the drama. It does not make sense. It also does not make sense that Dr. Terrell would not have carefully researched the people from the foundation that have been funding his work. Objectives, connections, financial transactions, publicity -- they are all minor details, until they no longer are. Dr. Terrell’s public presentation in the very beginning of the film confirms that he isn’t a hermit who has lost his sense of reality. He is very much in the present and constantly in touch with the people who are in charge with the survival of his advanced work.

Nichols worked with cinematographer William A. Fraker, who rather predictably makes a lot of the very tricky footage with the dolphins look almost casual. The camera positioning and lighting choices are really quite special.

*The trained dolphins that are seen in the film apparently escaped as soon as their parts were done, and never returned.

The Day of the Dolphin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Day of the Dolphin arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The release is sourced from the same 4K master that Kino Lorber worked with when they produced this North American release in 2020. I think that it is a very nice master with an overall excellent organic appearance. Is there any room for improvement? Yes, there are a few darker areas where fine nuances can be slightly more convincing. However, shadow definition actually ranges from very good to excellent, so improvements in these darker areas will not make a dramatic difference. Color balance is convincing, but a few of the supporting nuances can be expanded. The rest is solid. For example, the fluidity of the visuals is very impressive, so if you project you will have a terrific time with this film. Image stability is excellent. The entire film looks very healthy as well. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Day of the Dolphin Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0 (Stereo). Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I viewed the film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0 track, which is exclusive to this release. I think that this might be the best track to see the film with. In our review of the North American release of the film from Kino Lorber, I mentioned that Georges Delerue's score does not seem to be able to open up the film as well as I expected it could. Well, this 'new' track does a much better job, though I don't feel that the score is the main driver behind the difference. There are simply different things happening in select scenes that make a small but overall meaningful improvement.

The Day of the Dolphin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - vintage trailer for The Day of the Dolphin. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• TV Spot - vintage TV spot for The Day of the Dolphin. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Radio Spots - a couple of vintage radio spots for The Day of the Dolphin. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Trailers From Hell - an archival episode of Trailers From Hell with writer Larry Karaszewski (The People vs. Larry Flynt). In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Image Gallery - a collection of original promotional materials for The Day of the Dolphin.

• Selected Scenes Commentary - recorded by critic Sheldon Hall. In English, not subtitled. (33 min).

• Jon Korkes: Days of My Life - in this new program, actor Jon Korkes recalls how he became involved with The Day of the Dolphin, what it was like to shoot the film in Miami, and his interactions and professional relationship with Mike Nichols. In English, not subtitled. (44 min).

• Michael Haley: Moon Over the Bahamas - in this new program, second assistant director Michael Haley remembers how he entered the film business, his work on The Honeymoon Killers, some of the bigger directors that used his services, involvement with The Day of the Dolphin, and Mike Nichols' working methods. In English, not subtitled. (40 min).

• Archival Interviews - screenwriter Buck Henry and actors Leslie Charleson and Edward Herrmann discuss their involvement with The Day of the Dolphin, and address Mike Nichols' working methods and treatment of the original material that inspired the film. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Buck Henry. (13 min).
  2. Leslie Charleson. (7 min).
  3. Edward Herrmann. (14 min)

• Booklet - 36-page illustrated booklet featuring new essay by Neil Sinyard, archival articles and interviews, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits.

The Day of the Dolphin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sadly, the practice that is revealed at the end of The Day of the Dolphin is entirely authentic. In fact, there is enough information out there confirming that foreign parties have fine-tuned it to perfection and are still using it today, and you don't even have to look hard to find it. The film is nicely done, but for obvious reasons it won't be everyone's cup of tea. Indicator/Powerhouse Films' release is sourced from the same solid 4K master that the folks at Kino Lorber worked with when they produced their release for the U.S. market. However, this release has more audio options as well as a superior selection of bonus features. If you enjoy The Day of the Dolphin, it is the one you want to have in your collection. Please keep in mind that it is Region-B "locked". RECOMMENDED.