May 22 Only: “Zoo” goes behind the scenes at the Miami Metro Zoo
Frederick Wiseman's unmediated immersion invites viewers to form their own conclusions
After his 1991 “Aspen,” iconic documentarian Frederick Wiseman tackling the Miami Metro Zoo surely provided him a striking change in weather and subject matter, perhaps even offering a tempting retreat to the animals’ world. However, Wiseman’s 1993 “Zoo” validates his characteristic, instructive complexity as he burrows into the visitors’ as opposed to the zookeepers’ experiences, revealing inhumane conditions for some of the wildlife amidst some quite agonizing events for the staff. In fact, the differences between the zookeepers’ work and the tourists’ leisure are remarkably stark, a vivid illustration of behind-the-scenes labor versus entertaining pastime.
Wiseman immediately invites the viewer in, with ducks heard quacking, tigers roaring, and a lion seen lounging over the opening “ZOO” title, perhaps a crafty nod to the MGM introduction. Zebras and hippos relax, a vulture observes the area, flamingos honk, a white lion saunters, and people watch and smile. The elephant show pleases a crowd, though by compassionate standards it is immensely offensive, then and now, given what we know about elephants’ intelligence. One visitor rides a camel, people take photos or shoot video. All these expected events appear at a leisurely pace. Soon, a stunning shift to an even more riveting but catastrophic Asian rhino stillbirth occurs in real time as zookeepers work intently, attempting unsuccessfully to save the baby. I reveal these details since a documentary on a zoo might seem appropriate for children. But here and later in the film, events are emotionally disconcerting, though the zookeepers behave professionally within their restrictive context, including checking on the female rhino that next morning.
Subsequently, elephants are hosed down before keepers move a traumatized caiman from one area to another in what appears to be extremely dangerous, albeit expert, handling. Soon veterinarians tranquilize a gorilla to transport him to a clinical area for x-rays, a teeth cleaning, and a complete physical exam, all meticulously recorded. An educator explains to visitors that through the zoo’s work they hope to help a nearly extinct cousin, the mountain gorilla, certainly a desired outcome and one that begs for more explanation.
A shift then begins, Disneyfied moments few and far between. In effect, significantly sobering reality follows, detailing what must occur for animals to live: they eat smaller prey, sometimes live. Segueing into increasingly serious interaction, in close-up a Komodo dragon swallows a large fish head first before consuming the entire body, followed by eating several small chickens, feathers and all. More scientifically but grim, before beginning a necropsy, Dr. Miller will inquire by phone if a colleague wants tissue from the Indian rhino neonate. She will also describe the time line of the stillbirth before she and her colleagues dissect the neonate’s 96 pound carcass, perform skin biopsies, photograph the severed head, cut open and take photos of the body, all in close-ups, before disposing of it in the zoo incinerator. All performed away from visitors’ gaze, this methodical analysis may not be for viewers with a queasy stomach, hence my cataloguing it here. One hope is that this information may contribute knowledge to future breeding success, but it is grisly.
These shots precede, in stunning contrasts, men and women enjoying foot paddle boats on a lake, feeding coy, and then watching keepers toss live crickets and crayfish to otters. Positing further dissimilarity, shots of a merry-go-round, cotton candy, and a playground follow before encouraging viewers to help raise funds for the zoo with a $10 haircut. In another stunning juxtaposition, a food prep worker kills a live rabbit before feeding it head first to a boa that she must prompt from lethargy to swallow whole.
In an administrative meeting, the challenges orchestrating acquisition of Komodo dragons from Indonesia and paying for them dominate discussion. Funding matters, of course, for all institutions, a message reiterated in the closing Feast with the Beasts fancy gala, complete with Spanish guitar music and parrots on display, seen sitting on some of the upscale audience’s shoulders. Before that finale, staff discover two dead zebu, gutted in attacks by two feral dogs that dug under a fence. On camera, the dogs will be hunted, shot, and a carcass displayed before disposal. The discovery of the dead zebus and the subsequent hunt reaffirm horrific aspects of zoological life and death.
Throughout “Zoo” brief transitions punctuate longer scenes: shots of the monorail, service trucks driving from place to place, phases of the moon. Here and in Wiseman’s other documentaries, John Davey’s cinematography beautifully records and scrupulously reveals the obvious and hidden truths of each topic. For “Zoo,” the clear, though never explicitly stated, thesis is the stunning covert activities versus the visitors’ enjoyment, the sum total offering an insightful corrective to common perspectives. “Zoo” screens at Webster University’s Winifred Moore auditorium one night only, Thursday, May 22, at 7:00 that evening. For more information visit the film series website.
EndNote: For new viewers of Wiseman’s work, awareness of this iconic documentarian’s signature style helps illuminate his work. Wiseman adds no voiceover narration or interpretative music, all music and sound emanating directly from locations or by individuals playing instruments in captured footage. Subjects candidly interact with each other or appear alone without any direct engagement with the camera. Cuts from one scene to the next may occur without intermediary buffers or, more often, with brief transitional shots. In essence, though Wiseman edits hours and hours of footage, his unmediated immersion invites viewers to form their own conclusions about the subject matter so expertly presented.