The Corporation

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The Corporation

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The Corporation

Chris Barrett, Jane Akre, Maude Barlow, Michael Moore, Mikela J Mikael

One hundred and fifty years ago, the corporation was a relatively insignificant entity. Today, it is a vivid, dramatic and pervasive presence in all our lives. Like the Church, the Monarchy and the Co...( read more  read more... )mmunist Party in other times and places, the corporation is today's dominant institution. But history humbles dominant institutions. All have been crushed, belittled or absorbed into some new order. The corporation is unlikely to be the first institution to defy history. Based on Joel Bakan's soon-to-be-published book, "The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power," this documentary is a timely, critical inquiry that examines the very nature of the corporation-its inner workings, curious history, controversial impacts and possible futures. We begin by learning that under the law, corporations have all the rights and yet few of the responsibilities of people. By viewing the behavior of the corporation through the prism of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (or DSM III, the gold standard of psychiatric evaluation) the filmmakers discover that if the corporation were indeed a person, the person would be considered a psychopath. Featuring candid interviews with CEOs, whistle-blowers, brokers, gurus, spies, players, pawns and pundits, the chronicle charts the spectacular rise of an institution aimed at achieving specific economic goals as it also recounts victories against this seemingly invincible force. Once you see it, you may find yourself thinking twice about what you eat, what you wear, what you watch and what you read.

Id: 10894387

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Recent Reviews

The Corporation Recent Reviews
  • SirPant
    September 24, 2009
    SirPant
    Informative and funny. It?s an important film but it does drag a bit towards the end!
  • drago25
    January 11, 2008
    drago25
    This is one of those rare, truly excellent documentaries that come around every once in a while that is utterly enrapturing and worthy of multiple viewings. The Corporation is exactly what it sounds like it would be: an examination of what we know as the "corporation". The film t...( read more)ackles the issue effectively from every angle; from establishing a clear understanding of what the corporation is, what it does, what powers it has or can have, and the impact is has had and is having on our world. Told through the intermingling of interviews with professionals on the subject (including some CEOs of corporations) and stock footage, along with some really clever editing and expert craftsmanship. Especially powerful is the segments with the CEO of the world's largest carpet manufacturer (his name escapes me) who has been part of the corporate world for a long time, and had an epiphany where he realized how his company, and others like his, are impacting the world around them by following the rules of the corporation strictly (as the film clearly defines, corporations are essentially required by law to maximize profit for their shareholders and ignore the implications of their reckless profiting), and he actively works to make a difference while continuing to head his company but with a new consideration for the world around him. This is simply a fantastic documentary, right up there with the best of them I've seen. A must-watch for everyone.
  • MidnightMadwoman
    December 6, 2007
    MidnightMadwoman
    Watching this may make you sick, but it is important to see. Did you know that corporations count as people under the law? Neither did I until I saw this. It's creepy to see the extent to which laws are perverted and bent to accomodate the odious acts of greed that these 'people'...( read more) pull off. It's not nice to see, but it's good to know.
  • madmac17
    November 17, 2007
    madmac17
    A sobering manifesto decrying how pervasive and invasive corporations have become in our everyday lives. The film follows the development of the corporation from its gestation during the Industrial Revolution to its current state of rampant domination around the world. According...( read more) to the filmmakers, the most significant event in the history of corporations was the court ruling that gave corporations the same legal rights as individual citizens, making them 'persons' under the law. But in fact they're artificial 'persons', and you can't put an artificial person in jail, so it's become very difficult over the years to hold corporations accountable for their unlawful activities. The film then takes the fact that a corporation is considered to be a 'person' and asks the question, "What kind of a person is it?" Upon studying the activities of corporations in various parts of the world, the filmmakers compile a list of characteristics of this 'person' and submit the list to a psychiatrist. They discover that the characteristics of the corporation fit the psychological profile of a psychopath! So, in effect, we have a bunch of psychopaths, whose underlying motivation is profit, attempting to control and manipulate our lives. Pretty scary stuff. Along with An Inconvenient Truth, this film should be required viewing for anyone who's concerned about the state of the planet we're passing on to our grandchildren. It's not a call to arms, but a call to action and if you need more convincing, screenwriter Joel Bakan, who also wrote the book the film was based on, proves to be an eloquent spokesperson for the film. The special features contain various interviews and Q&A sessions where he calmly and dispassionately discusses the many horrors that have been wrought upon the planet by our friendly neighbourhood corporations. But before you can take action you need to be informed, and toward that end I strongly recommend seeing this film.
  • brooklynspo
    July 7, 2007
    brooklynspo
    Shocking, effective, leftist, snarky and entertaining Canadian.
  • lupaup
    December 13, 2009
    lupaup
    Como todo documentário do Michael Moore, é bom até começarem a manipular sua opiinião.
  • Luciusthebigboss
    November 23, 2009
    Luciusthebigboss
    It's an awesome documentary. They should show it in every school around the world!
  • mundo20002000
    November 2, 2009
    mundo20002000
    INteresting but did not answer alot. Noem Chomsky and others are in this movie... SO i loved it but did not examine other traits...
  • sagapart12
    October 10, 2009
    sagapart12
    A rather intriging tale, watch if you're interested in the concept.
  • gazebih
    September 7, 2009
    gazebih
    Opened the paradigm thought and world details corporat that was thirsty would the authority. Please to frightened, sad, compassion, angry and amazed
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