Arguably one of the most important documentaries of the new millennium, The Corporation is a riveting, intelligent, complex, in-depth, yet surprisingly entertaining study of the most dominant institution of the modern age. Adapted by Joel Bakan from his book The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power, and co-directed by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott, this Canadian production offers a brilliant, eye-opening analysis based on the pivotal 1886 court ruling (resulting from a dubious interpretation of the 14th Amendment) that granted corporations the same legal rights as individual citizens. This being the case, the filmmakers ask, "What kind of person is a corporation?" when judged by human standards, and the answer--arrived at by using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders--is that corporations are by nature psychopathic, characterized by a self-absorbed lack of empathy and remorse, deceitfulness, and gross manipulation in their singular pursuit of profit. The filmmakers' bias is obvious but it's not entirely unbalanced: left-wing celebrities (Noam Chomsky, Michael Moore) share equal interview time with right-wing CEOs, PR mavens, political analysts, and others, who cover a wide spectrum of relevant issues (patented life forms, government collusion, corporate-driven news media, and much more) that point to our desperate need for a new and progressively humanitarian corporate paradigm. Allowing that some corporations have noble intentions, The Corporation suggests that there is hope for the future, but still offers plenty of reasons to be deeply concerned and motivated into action. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: C, P. [Note: DVD extras on this two-disc set include an English descriptive video viewing option, audio commentaries (one by filmmakers Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott; the other by writer Joel Bakan), eight segments of “Q&A's” featuring Achbar, Abbott, and Bakan in locations including New York, Australia, and Vancouver, B.C. (27 min.), eight deleted scenes (17 min.), the 39-minute segment “Majority Report interview with Joel Bakan” featuring Bakan's appearance on Janeane Garofalo and Sam Seder's NY radio show, the seven-minute segment “Katherine Dodds on Grassroots Marketing,” “Hear More From…” interviews categorized by person (40 segments), “Topical Paradise” interviews categorized by topic (23 segments), and trailers. Bottom line: a whopping extras package for an excellent and timely documentary.] (J. Shannon)
The Corporation
(2003) 2 discs. 145 min. DVD: $29.95 (VHS or DVD w/PPR: public libraries: $139; colleges & universities: $195). Zeitgeist Films. PPR. Color cover. Volume 19, Issue 6
The Corporation
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: