McLibel: Two Worlds Collide

In 1991, McDonald's Corporation accused two English activists, Helen Steel and Dave Morris, of libel for accusations--environmental, nutritional, and socioeconomic--made against the fast-food giant in a pamphlet distributed outside the Golden Arches. Originally forecast to last a few months, the case--pitting the plucky duo, representing themselves, against an army of lawyers and researchers--dragged on for six years, becoming the longest civil trial in the history of British jurisprudence, and ending in a divided verdict that was at best a pyrrhic victory for the company. There's nothing evenhanded in filmmaker Franny Armstrong's approach: Steel and Morris are portrayed as courageous Davids going up against a heartless Goliath, while McDonald's executives are shown in a highly unflattering perspective (in one instance, a hidden microphone is employed to reveal their machinations in offering to settle the case out of court). Moreover, the use of a wigged actor to mouth the questions posed by the plaintiff's barrister may strike many as a melodramatic touch. Still, the case is a fascinating one, and McLibel serves as a nice complement to Morgan Spurlock's similarly-themed, critically acclaimed documentary Super Size Me, currently in theaters. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)