In association with National Geographic Documentary films and Picturehouse, “Becoming Cousteau” released in theaters on Oct. 22. The film is centered around the life of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, a renowned conservationist and oceanographer who is credited with creating the aquatic lung used in diving amongst other accomplishments.
My mother grew up watching Cousteau on television as a child, and as someone who is thoroughly involved in the world of marine biology and oceanography, I was so excited to see this film and learn more about him. Cousteau wasn’t always a scientist. He started as a naval pilot but began free diving and fishing as physical therapy after an accident.
Suddenly, Cousteau’s life was consumed by the ocean. The more time he spent underwater, the less time he wanted to spend on land. Hence, the development of the aquatic lung. It didn’t immediately start as a business, but soon Cousteau longed to make a career of it. He and his colleagues bought a ship, the Calypso, and during World War II convinced the government to oversee the development of the aquatic lung for commercial use, which could be used to explore underwater wrecks and recover bodies.
As Cousteau’s career went on, he used funding from oil companies to fund the Calypso and the production of a film in 1956 about living on the sea and exploring the world underneath the waves, called “The Silent World.” The film was a huge success, as at this point in time many people had never seen accurate representations of sea life in film.
As Cousteau aged and his children grew up, he began to realize more and more the effects of man on the ocean and marine wildlife. His new goal was to warn people about the harmful effects that humans could have on the ocean and the impending doom that would face our oceans if we did not get it under control. He starred in his own show that ran on national television from 1968 through 1976 with the goal of educating people, especially children, on the great wonders of the oceans and why we should want to protect them.
This is the part of Cousteau’s life that will remain his legacy; his dire urge to protect the environment. Cousteau was one of the first oceanographers to speak out against climate change, attending United Nations conferences and meeting with government officials to warn them that if we do not protect the oceans then we will no longer have oceans to protect.
The documentary was directed by the talented Liz Garbus, and it was beautiful. The timing sequences and the way Cousteau’s life was laid out in the film was easy to follow, and the specially obtained footage of him was beautifully put together and recolored as needed. This documentary not only outlined the amazing life of an amazing man, but also the fact that environmentalists are still fighting the same fight Cousteau was fighting decades ago. In the last minutes of the film, it includes Cousteau’s argument as to why humans should leave the Alaskan wilderness untouched for fifty years, and that law was passed but will expire in 2048 which is a mere 27 years from now. It truly brings to light the urgency that we are now facing to protect the environment.
