Hey folks, Harry here with a look at a documentary examining the world of THE CORPORATION - that evil monsterous inhuman construct trying to crush us all. Let's see if this docu gives it a black eye! Here ya go...
Hey Harry,
Long/First, etc. I'm a hapless Canuck always keeping a look out for hot films sifting down from the great white north for you Yankees to see. A quick search of your site shows me that you've had nothing on "The Corporation". I don't know if it has gotten any attention south of the border, but good God, it should.
The Corporation is a documentary, very similar in style to Bowling For Columbine (although with less emphasis on humor). In the opening sequence, a narrator tells us that the film explores "The Corporation", the single most important and powerful entity in today's society. It then proceed to deal with topics such as how the concept of the Corporation evolved and what they are doing around the globe these days.
This is not a perfect documentary by any means. First of all, its really long (something like 170 minutes). And even though there is a hell of a lot of "head shaking moments" (like when a labor lobbyist shows how a Nike sweatshop worker is paid 3/10ths of a percent of the retail price for shirts she manufactures) for them to show, it gets kind of tedious by the end.
My second complaint is more personal. Anyone who already has an interest in corporate happenings is likely already familiar with many of the things examined in the film. This film would be most beneficial to someone who has little knowledge of the corporate world. Of course, as if always the case, I'm sure those people would rather go see "The Butterfly Effect".
But back to the good. There are just too many good revelations in this film for it not to be seen. Take, for example, the fact that within 10 years the genes that make up humanity will have all been patented. Or the montage of shots from both in-and-outside the Montreal Summit of Americas, where all the big dogs in International Trade met a few years ago. Outside the Summit, there was intense protesting, and the film makers cut between tear gas being shot into a crowd and rich government types being served champagne. Michael Moore even makes several appearances throughout, spewing his usual funny/informative sound bites.
Alright, you get the idea. The Corporation is worth a look, if it ever makes it south of the border. If you use this, call me Sfucker.
Sfucker
