The Silent World

Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Louis Malle's 1956 documentary records underwater expeditions aboard the Calypso. Colour photography beneath the surface was a new possibility then, and the film showed coral reefs, shoals of fish and deep water to a wide audience on this scale for the first time, which is why it counts as a founding work of nature documentary. Watched now, though, what is most striking is the behaviour of the crew: dynamite is set off to count fish, coral is broken, and sharks gathering around a wounded baby whale are hauled onto the deck and beaten to death. Cousteau moved away from this attitude in later years. The film won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and an Academy Award. Who it's for: viewers curious about the history of nature documentary. Who it's not for: anyone who does not want to watch violence against animals; the film shows it at length and thought nothing of it at the time.