This is incredible. I just found a few videos of Cousteau’s documentaries on Youtube. Someone uploaded World Without Sun and The Silent World in their entireties. And all this while I’ve been trying to find them at the libraries. Seems like I have underestimated the abilities and wonders of the Internet.

I shall put up links to these videos. Really amazing. They provide such rich history of underwater exploration. It is nothing like the documentaries we see now. They’re not so swanky, kinda blur, it isn’t in 10 000 colours, and some scenes in The Silent World are truly shocking. Hacking corals off the reef, riding on a sea turtle, killing a group of sharks to avenge a whale, and even using dynamite to blow up a reef. Unsurprisingly, the film faced great criticism when it was released, and Jacques Cousteau and his team would become more environmentally aware of the damage humans do to the oceans. That said however, as mentioned, underwater filming was still relatively new, and I believe the film has to be watched in the context of its time.

Also, the film also shows the many types of equipment divers used to carry when explore the sea. Here’s an example. It seemed that, instead of bringing underwater lighting equipment, the divers bring along some sort of torch, probably made of some chemical that reacts with salt water to give off light. You also get to see the early prototypes of the Aqualung used by the team, and a really adorable one-man submarine that kinda looks like a coffin.

(Photo courtesy of National Geographic Magazine, 1954)

Warning: World Without Sun is in English, but The Silent World, or Le Monde du Silence, is, as you have guessed, in French,with no subtitles. Apparently, I have also underestimated my ability to understand French because all I got from the first 30 minutes is “rouge,” “blanc,” and lots of “mer.” However, if you understand French, you should definitely watch it. I have read reviews that mentioned that the Cousteau’s French narration was hilarious.

Edit: Just found an English version of The Silent World. I’ll post links to both versions just in case.