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Dangerous Giants Among Us
Monday Nov 14, 2005.
By Joel Wicklund
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Though it's box office take (somewhere around $4 million worldwide) was more than respectable for a documentary in limited release, "The Corporation" had the misfortune of playing around the same time as Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," which did unheard of summer Hollywood blockbuster-type business. Moore's controversial film undoubtedly brought some people to "The Corporation" and other films during a year that saw an explosion in political documentaries, but its mega-hit status also overshadowed them all. It's understandable that Moore would stand out in his field. He's not only a talented filmmaker, but also a real entertainer. He's a celebrity in a genre of film that doesn't really spawn celebrities. But as good as it was and as important as it became to the present political debate, the focus of "Fahrenheit 9/11" seems almost minor compared to the subject of "The Corporation," a hugely ambitious, sometimes unwieldy, but vital documentary that seeks to address nothing less than the historical, economic, political, social and environmental status of the most dominant force in the world today. At nearly two and a half hours, "The Corporation" might seem long, but considering the scope of the film, it's remarkably concise. Indeed, the filmmakers reportedly began with a rough cut of the film of some 33 hours and it might require longer than that to cover this topic fully. But by keeping the film to feature length, it becomes a brisk, forceful pronouncement of the state of current affairs, instead of the dry civics lesson it could have become. The film points to a bizarre and disturbingly enduring 1886 Supreme Court ruling as the place where the domineering effects of the corporation began. That ruling somehow twisted the 14th Amendment (which guaranteed former slaves full and equal rights) into the notion that a corporation was also a "person," entitled to all constitutional rights. That might sound OK, until one seriously contemplates that odd definition. If a global, multifaceted corporation, with massive influence on the workforce, the economy, and society at large, can defend its actions as personal liberties, how does that infringe on the quality of life for true individuals? As corporations have grown larger and larger, and coalesced their power through mergers and anti-regulation laws, that question has become a truly dire one. "The Corporation" makes the point by charting just a few of countless incidents of corporate malfeasance, from the reckless decision to foist growth hormones on the beef market to the insanity of Bechtel being sold rights to the entire water supply of Cochabamba, Bolivia's third largest city. Even rainwater that fell on the city was considered company "property." As someone who likes to keep up on the news, I felt terribly ignorant about not knowing about this unbelievable story. But PBS' website for its "Frontline" program notes that no major U.S. newspaper had a reporter in the city during uprisings that came after water rates were raised there, so I'd bet the vast majority of Americans share my ignorance. In covering its many areas and arguments, "The Corporation" brings in several points of view. Yes, prominent liberal activists are featured (Moore, Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn and others), but so are several corporate executives, some of whom staunchly defend the virtues of mass privatization. But then there is Ray Anderson, founder and former CEO of Interface, the world's largest carpet manufacturer. Anderson doesn't merely give environmentalism its due; he has become a convert to even its most grim predictions. "Every living system is in decline," he says, an astonishing statement for a corporate executive. In his sincere attempts to stop the plundering he fully admits to being a part of, Anderson has set a course for Interface to be a "sustainable" company (one that puts no burden on any living systems) by 2020. Anderson's story and others give the viewer a degree of hope, but gloom hangs over even some of those shining moments. Cochabamba took back its water supply, but only after a violent standoff (with casualties) against the government and police. Is this what it will take to keep something as basic as clean water accessible in the future? If "The Corporation" is guilty of inspiring more pessimism than hope, however, it's only by forcing us to face our own culpability in corporate dominance. The film does take a couple of wrong turns, such as its ongoing psychological portrait of the corporation "individual" as a psychopath. Though seemingly accurate, this kind of conceptual detour takes away from the concrete information that packs a much greater punch. But on the whole, directors Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott and writer Joel Bakan (the film is based on his book "The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power") do a remarkably good job of illuminating a most complicated subject in a very engaging fashion. The well-chosen interview segments are skillfully blended with a playful use of archival footage and imagery. Shot on video, "The Corporation" surely looks better on DVD than it did in its 35mm film transfer for theatrical release. Zeitgeist Films' two-disc set includes extensive features and interviews with the filmmakers explaining how the film was researched and made, two audio commentaries, a grassroots marketing segment, some trailers and over five hours of additional footage of the 40 interview subjects seen in the film. That might seem excessive, but when you start with 33 hours, perhaps not.
Films featured in DVDetours™ may be difficult to find at many video stores but are widely available from some of the online rental services, such as Netflix, Green Cine, QwikFliks and Blockbuster Online. Inventories vary from company to company and DVDetours has no connection to any of these services. © 2005 Joel Wicklund
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