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IMDb > Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers (2003)

Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers (2003) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
6.7/10   780 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 6% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Erik Gandini (writer)
Genre:
Awards:
3 wins & 1 nomination more
User Reviews:
An underhanded attack on anti-globalism? more (24 total)

Additional Details

Runtime:
Sweden:54 min | Argentina:54 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)
Country:
Color:

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30 out of 37 people found the following review useful.
An underhanded attack on anti-globalism?, 5 November 2004
Author: bartman_9 from Belgium

Who is behind this documentary?

On the surface of things, this is a very radical film, both in style and content. It seems to draw a scathing portrait of Western consumerist and corporate culture by brilliantly editing together politician's sound bites, found footage and interviews to an techno-soundtrack, resulting in what can best be described as the cinematic equivalent of hip hop.

But then it chooses to contrast consumerist, corporate culture with two (and only two) examples of anti-globalism: Fidel Castro's Cuba, with it's rationed economy, and the ideas of John Zerzan, who basically advocates a return to the stone age. It doesn't take a lot of perception to see that both alternatives have their own problems (I'm still waiting for the day people get so fed up with consumerism they're willing to flee on dingy rafts to the socialist paradise). The movie knows those problems and uses it's editing to mock both personalities, introducing a Cuban girl telling us how impressed she was by the well stocked supermarkets on her trip to London or inter cutting Zerban's interview with a Fred-Flintstone-caveman. On the other hand, in its criticism of corporatism, it never goes much deeper than showing a hysterical Mike Balmer in full motivational mode, screaming how much he loves Microsoft. The movie never explores the violence and (mass-)murder inherent to Western-style capitalism.

So, for the casual viewer watching this supposedly revolutionary, anti-establishment documentary, the conclusion might be that the diverse range of people and movements involved in Anti-Globalism are all loony-leftist Luddites and that Western Civilization isn't so bad after all, which is exactly what the powers that be want us to think.

It's impossible for me to rate this doc: as a depiction of the anti-globalism movement it is a dismal failure, as reactionary subversion however, it is a work of genius!

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