The Corporation (2003)

Documentary that looks at the concept of the corporation throughout recent history up to its present-day dominance.

Directors:

Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott

Writers:

Joel Bakan, Joel Bakan (book),

Stars:

Mikela Jay, Rob Beckwermert, Christopher Gora

10 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Mikela Jay	...	Herself - Narrator (voice) (as Mikela J. Mikael)
Rob Beckwermert	...	Actor - Dramatizations
Christopher Gora	...	Actor - Dramatizations
Nina Jones	...	Actor - Dramatizations
Richard Kopycinski	...	Actor - Dramatizations
Karen Lam	...	Actor - Dramatizations
Sean Lang	...	Actor - Dramatizations
Bert Phillips	...	Actor - Dramatizations
Diana Wilson	...	Actor - Dramatizations
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jane Akre	...	Herself - Investigative Reporter
Ray Anderson	...	Himself - CEO, Interface
Joe Badaracco	...	Himself - Professor of Business Ethics, Harvard Business School
Maude Barlow	...	Herself - Chairperson, Council of Canadians
Chris Barrett	...	Himself - Corporate Sponsored University Students
Marc Barry	...	Himself - Competitive Intelligence Professional

Storyline

Since the late 18th century American legal decision that the business corporation organizational model is legally a person, it has become a dominant economic, political and social force around the globe. This film takes an in-depth psychological examination of the organization model through various case studies. What the study illustrates is that in the its behaviour, this type of "person" typically acts like a dangerously destructive psychopath without conscience. Furthermore, we see the profound threat this psychopath has for our world and our future, but also how the people with courage, intelligence and determination can do to stop it.

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Plot Keywords:

corporation | business | sweatshop | media manipulation | globalization | 

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Genres:

Documentary | History

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Canada

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

4 June 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Corporação

Filming Locations:

Celebration, Florida, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$28,671 (USA) (4 June 2004)

Gross:

$1,879,301 (USA) (12 November 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Big Picture Media Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

145 min 150 min (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente) 165 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sam Gibara, the Chairman of Goodyear, would only agree to be interviewed in the Waldorf Astoria. As the film-makers were very keen to have him on film, they rented a room at the Waldorf. Unfortunately the Waldorf only rents its rooms for the night, so 3 crew members took the opportunity to overnight in one of the world's most famous hotels.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: 150 years ago, the business corporation was a relatively insignificant institution. Today, it is all-pervasive. Like the Church, the Monarchy and the Communist Party in other times and places, the corporation is today's dominant institution. This documentary examines the nature, evolution, impacts, and possible futures of the modern business corporation. Initially given a narrow legal mandate, what has allowed today's corporation to achieve such extraordinary power and influence ...

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Crazy Credits

The credits display addresses and descriptions of related websites but they can also be found on the official website for the film.

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Connections

Features Triumph of the Will (1935)

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Soundtracks

"What I Don't Know"
Written and Performed by Michelle Irving (as Granny 'Ark)
Courtesy Michelle Irving

User Reviews

Working on the bottom line

After a relatively straightforward start exploring the definition of incorporation, this documentary made some fairly meaty punches on its target material.

With the exception of a few sentimental and outdated "the poor people fight back" strands, most of the attacks were well constructed. Beyond simply saying that to a corporation profit is everything, the more difficult case was made: that everything can be turned into a profit. And that includes life, death, and the truth.

The depiction of the Corporation as a psychopath was used to link most of the material. The talking heads were usually on the money, including both Michael "9/11" Moore and Noam "Manafacturing Consent" Chomsky.

But what the film does well was report specific cases that certainly included a few gems. An attempt to privatize water, IBM servicing Nazi accounting, an attempted coup in the US, Fox burying news and of course Monsanto being Monsanto. You couldn't make those guys up.

The attempt to look at alternatives to the worst forms of Capitalism were not so successful. Right wing defenders of profit-at-all-cost use short sentences with single syllable words. The poor want to be rich. We make things you like. We don't care. Much of the left wing however, cannot counter this clarity.

And the last frame had the ebullient Mr Moore telling us to get off the sofa and do something. Yeah, like vote for Bush again?