The Corporation
|
List Price: Our Price: $16.88 You Save: $13.11 (44%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $10.99 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of The Corporation
Movie Review: How to Commit Slow, Painful, National Suicide Through One Institution!
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Corporation" was indeed an eye-opener. While I've read George Ritzer's "McDonaldization" on globalization, I learned something surprising and fearful in this film. The legal purpose--and SOLE legal purpose--of a (for-profit) corporation is to produce profit for its owners. The rest of the film flows from this one basic legal definition--one I am assuming is true since the primary producer is an attorney. Therefore, through supporting the corporation as the primary modern agency of commerce, we are effectively and slowly commiting suicide. Let me explain.
In an equally evocative book, "The Selfish Gene," Richard Dawkins claims that the gene is the primary imperative of all life forms and strives to replicate itself. As far as it goes, this makes sense. Most people, animals, and plants, go to considerable legth to protect their lives and that of their progeny which enable genes to live on. At the same time, we've elevated an institution--in this case the corporation--to a position that threatens us and our descendents in very specific and significant ways. Are humans really lemmings in disguise? This movie makes you wonder.
Certainly there is such a thing as "heart" which we see in individuals, groups, and corporations. But on the part of the corporation, that heart is limited, unpredictable, and ultimately, often, self-serving. If I need a new car and find out Ford has made a large contribution (often through its employees, not it's coffers) to a hurricane relief effort, I'm disposed to buy a Ford. Great return on investment!
But what about the harm done by corporations to individuals, groups, and the planet by comparison? According to the film, there is little. As others have noted, once the corporation received protection as "a person" via the 14th amendment, social and even legal accountability vanished. As a society, we cheerfully allow our corporations to poison and choke us without a second thought. We literally celebrate the opening of a new corporation with a long, illustrious, and documented history of harming children through production of unsafe drugs, toys, or food while reviling and protesting a registered "sex offender" who moved in up the street and whose only crime may have been relieving himself on the side of a building near a school because he had an enlarged prostate and simply had to go--right then and there. Do you see where I'm going here?
The film is replete with examples of the many ways corporations harm us--mostly those of us on the outside. It doesn't delve as deeply into what it does to corrupt the hearts, minds, souls, and bodies of employees. This harm is serious, significant, and increasing at about the same rate the benefits from employment are decreasing. Produce more, faster, with fewer benefits. Stress levels alone are harming people in droves.
Where is the motivation for this modern corporation to change perspective and tactics when rewards accrue to those who are the most mercenary, heartless, and devious? It has to come from us--the people being harmed.
Happily, after being so much of a downer, the film ends on a positive note and shows what can and is being done to change "business as usual" through "sustainment" in place of "externalization." This film is a true mind-blower, folks. Once you view it, it will be hard to forget and virtually impossible to ignore!
Movie Review: Pathological Profit Machines
Summary: 5 Stars
Whether you are talking about new technologies that save lives, a book that changed your perspective on the world, the horrible conditions of sweatshops or exposure to cancer-causing agents; you are essentially talking about corporations - the fundamental unit of global economics, and by default, the institution which holds the fate of the planet in its legally personified hands.
Beginning with the emergence of specific, short-lived corporate projects - like the construction of a bridge - to the creation of international trading companies, such as the British East India Company, to the birth of the modern corporation, which, rather paradoxically, gained the legal right of personhood under the 14th amendment; this documentary traces the emergence and mutation of the corporation from its Western imperial roots to its contemporary headquarters on the New York Stock Exchange floor.
No paean to the glories of corporate dynamism, this documentary offers a wide variety of highly critical perspectives. Beginning with MIT superstar Noam Chomksy (Manufacturing Consent), acclaimed historian Howard Zinn (A People's History of the United States), Michael Moore (Fahrenheit 911) and Naomi Klein (NO LOGO), you will be exposed to the views of many front-running corporate critics, set against and contrasted with the views of leading corporate apologists, such as the Nobel Prize-winning economist and laissez-faire capitalism advocate Milton Friedman (Freedom and Capitalism).
The image of the corporation that emerges from this documentary is less than flattering. Paralleling the definition of a psychopath, the corporation has time and time again displayed a callous unconcern for the feelings and safety of others, an ingrained habit of lying and, by design, an incapacity to experience guilt. Indeed, it would appear that the corporation has but one responsibility, and that is to maximize profite for its shareholders - which it does at all costs.
We see the chemical corporation deny or downplay the effects cancer-causing agents; we see the highly mutable multinational corporation comb the globe for places that provide ever-cheaper sources of human labor and ever-laxer environmental regulations; we see the politically irresponsible corporation support genocidal dictatorships; and we see the succesful corporation amass huge sums of money for executives and stock-holders while passing out pink slips, slashing benefits and liquidating pension funds.
Given the power these institutions have over our minds (via advertisement), over our daily lives (via employment regulations), over society (via lobbying and campaign contributions), and over the health of the planet (via extraction, manufacturing and distribution); there would appear to be no more important subject. I highly recommend that everyone see this documentary, and hope to see more like it in the future.
For those would like to learn more about the effects of corporations on society and the environment, I recommend the following books: WHEN CORPORATIONS RULE THE WORLD, by David Korten, IN ABSENCE OF THE SACRED, by Jerry Mander, and THE CORPORATION, by Joel Bakan - the book which originally inspired this documentary.
j.w.k.
Movie Review: An engrossing film
Summary: 5 Stars
2004 was the year of the documentary. Documentaries were huge over the past year from "Control Room" to "Outfoxed". Obviously the biggest of the documentaries was Michael Moore's film "Fahrenheit 9/11". After seeing that film, I was definitely interested in seeing other documentaries. Another great documentary I had seen last summer was "The Corporation" which is based on Joel Bakan's book of the same name. Unfortunately it was shown in few theaters other than in big cities like where I live. After seeing the film, I went out and bought the (overpriced) book. I had to laugh at the fact that the book was barely 100 pages and was priced at (...) at Border's. Unlike most films that were originally books, "The Corporation" remained faithful. For 2 1/2 I was engrossed with the film.
The film kicks off with the subject of how the environment is effected by corporate America, which eventually led to sweat shops. The topic of the dangers of globalization is nothing new but it certainly made me look at drinking milk in a whole new light. If you drink milk, make sure that there is no 'special' ingredient (like farmers trying to chemically force their cows to produce more milk). I also was seeing red when two newscasters in Florida were pretty much shut down on this particular story no thanks to upper management at the tv station they worked for (owned by Rupert Murdoch).
I was also repulsed by the suggestion that IBM had donated some of their equipment to Adolf Hilter so he can keep track of the population numbers in his concentration camps. I really don't know how much truth is to that suggestion but it is pretty compelling, if not revolting (if it is true).
Another fascinating segment in the film was how a town in South America revolted against its fascist regime because the government officials then made the locals pay for water, including rain water they would collect. Who on god's green water is greedy enough to charge for rain water?!
What really turned me off was when the film briefly discussed about advertising and how marketers aim towards children. I don't have any kids (nor do I plan on having any) but I felt dirty after seeing this segment because I enjoyed some of the products by the companies that were aiming at kids to nag their parents into buying their stuff for them.
Michael Moore does make a cameo appearance in the film. He shows a couple of clips from one of his earlier films "The Big One" in which he goes after corporate America. I think Michael's role in the film was to provide some levity in an otherwise dour film.
For me personally I loved this film. I had no problems sitting through the 2 1/2 hours. Some people might have issues with that. I always was aware of the dangers of globalization and free trade so nothing really new in this film was talked about. This film is unequivocaly one sided since it does criticize big corporations but then again the whole point of this film is to exposing corporate America and just how corrupt corporations can be. I am so glad that this film is finally coming out on dvd this spring. I am definitely planning on buying it. It is one of my favorite documentaries of all time.
Movie Review: fine documentary about the corporation and the monster that it morphed into...
Summary: 5 Stars
The Corporation uses historic footage and modern day interviews with famous thinkers like Noam Chomsky and Michael Moore to document first the evolution of the corporation and then how the corporation grew into something the earliest corporation founders never could have envisioned. These days, the corporation is a gigantic, sprawling, powerful, crushing force that creates wants in humans for items they don't need, encourages slave labor in third world countries and successfully obtains patents on life forms.
The movie, as many people have stated, is rather long. However, I personally liked it much more than I thought I would. I learned a lot about corporations and the pace at which it moves along held my attention.
The movie begins by showing us the birth of the corporation. Corporations were initially small entities created by small groups to get one goal accomplished and then disband. Unfortunately, trouble starts about a century ago when the Supreme Court rules that a corporation has the rights of a human being. From there on in things begin to happen that boggle the mind and shock even some of the conservative people in the audience.
We learn about the growth of corporations through the use of advertising to create wants for both children and adults for things they don't truly need; and then make stunning profits off those items. In one very shocking example, we see how one clothing line pays only 74 cents for a ladies' jacket that runs about $170 retail. Ouch! The corporation becomes a bully entering into third world countries to give ridiculously low paying jobs to people too poor and unskilled to do anything except take those jobs.
Other examples of the bullying that corporations do, as we learn, involve patenting life forms; putting dangerous chemicals into cows so that the milk we drink is unhealthy for us; and polluting rivers at a pace that would make even the most evil Spiderman villain blush.
On the bright side, we see people fighting back legally--sometimes winning, sometimes losing--but the message is that corporations aren't quite as powerful as they were about 15 years ago.
DVD extras include deleted scenes and The Majority Report interview with Joel Bakan. There is also a talk with Katherine Dodds on grassroots marketing. Noam Chomsky stars in a short trailer, too. Great!
Many people will tell you that this film is preaching to the choir--and, most unfortunately, they are correct. Most people will read the general synopsis of the film before choosing to buy it and if they are not in agreement with persons like Michael Moore and Noam Chomsky then they'll never see it. At least, however, the movie can try to rally the troops to do something to become more alert to the bigger picture about how corporations bully and pollute our world every day.
Overall, this is a fine documentary and a tool to educate people about corporations--I learned a great deal. People who like sociology and psychology will enjoy this even more; and I highly recommend this film for persons with an active social conscience who want to make this world a better place in which to live.
Movie Review: Web of Greed
Summary: 5 Stars
Very informative film that examines how the 'bottom line' corporate/government agenda isn't merely foisted upon us with deceptive images and Orwellian doublespeak, but is so complete and all encompassing that we literally, often tragically, embrace the corporate values which shape how and what we value, prioritize, love, hate, tune out and generally perceive ourselves and 'reality'. Afterall, much of how we define ourselves is rooted within the corporate goods and services we use and consume.
That is, by and large, it's collective agenda; distort consciousness, the collective consciousness(and the unconscious), to the degree that we act without critical attention paid to the process of degredation and psychological enslavement, manifesting a false sense of comfort/security stemming from satisfying an 'imposed' need by vested interests, coupled with a sense of familiarity/going with the flow, resulting in a spiritually and mentally malnourished Buy-By-The-Numbers existence which only briefly satisfy's on the surface level of things, ensuring the continuation of the cycle.
Since corporations were given the legal status of individuals, what are we to make of such 'people', so to speak, who comprise them? This film uses the F.B.I.'s top consultant on psychopaths to formulate a diagnosis of the corporate personality:
1)Callous unconcern for the feelings of others
2)Incapacity to maintain enduring relationships
3)Reckless disregard for the safety of others
4)Deceitfulness:repeated lying and conning others for profit
5)Incapacity to experience guilt
6)Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors
Sound familiar?
As Noam Chomsky points out though, there can be more than meets the eye, and it's the institutions they serve that are monstrous and tyrannical, even though the individuals who comprise them may seem friendly and caring towards those around them.
Richard Grossman asks, "What happens if we wake up one day and we find out that virtually all of our relationships that are mediated between us and our fellow human beings are commercialized? We find out that virtually every relationship we have is a commercially arbitrated relation with our fellow human beings. Can civilization survive on that narrow a definition of how we interact with each other?"
That speaks to the core of the concern presented in this film. I would also recommend reading Herbert Marcuse "One Dimensional Man", in which he foredoomed a mass of people who would literally be brainwashed and enslaved by what at the surface is taken to be 'liberation', but realistically is only the 'liberty' to choose between brand names and gadgets, between strategically offered/accepted mindset x, and mindset y, with all choices only serving to sustain an empty life of toil and alienation.
Some of those interviewed for this film don't necessarily shy away from bleak realities, but do maintain hope for mankind, and insist that so long as the people are informed, they do and will care enough to strive towards a better existence.