The Corporation

The Corporation is a thought-provoking, ambitious and comprehensive documentary that was released in 2003. Directed by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott, and loosely based on the book "The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power" by Joel Bakan, the film features a renowned ensemble of narrators and speakers that includes Mikela Jay, Rob Beckwermert, and Christopher Gora among others.

The Corporation explores the nature and spectacular rise of the dominant institution of our time. Footage from pop culture, advertising, TV news, and corporate propaganda, illuminates the corporation's grip on our lives. Taking its legal status as a "person" to its logical conclusion, the film puts the corporation on the psychiatrist's couch to ask "What kind of person is it?" The Corporation includes interviews with 40 corporate insiders and critics - including Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, Milton Friedman, Howard Zinn, Vandana Shiva and Michael Moore - plus true confessions, case studies and strategies for change.

The film is organized into chapters that enable the narrative to flow cohesively. It uses a range of cinematic techniques such as archival footage, interviews, and cartoons to enhance the viewer's understanding of the subject. The cinematic narration by Mikela Jay, and the soundtrack composed by Leonard J. Paul, contribute to creating an effective atmosphere that invites the viewers to critically re-evaluate their perspective of large multinational corporations.

The film presents the corporation as an entity, delving into its inception, its evolution, its global impact, as well as its future. It drives home its point by presenting case studies. These are not just limited to specific companies, but are designed to offer a broader perspective on the implications of large corporations on society, environment, human rights, and even democracy.

The documentary starts with an intriguing premise - are corporations inherently psychopathic and if so how does this dictate their interaction with the world at large? To support the argument, the film focuses on the economic, political, and social power of corporations, and humanizes them by comparing their actions to the traits of a psychopath in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders.

The Corporation takes you through a historical journey, from the genesis of the corporation as a legally-defined individual, to its present-day omnipresence. Directors Achbar and Abbott deftly navigate the audience to face the cultural, environmental, political and social consequences of the rise of the corporation. From issues like sweatshops in undeveloped nations, to environmental crisis, and the media's role in promoting certain consumer behavior, The Corporation touches upon various topics that are fundamental in understanding the role and influence of these mega-corporate entities in our contemporary society.

The uniform voice from both inside and outside of the corporation in the movie is quite telling. The Corporation presents interviews with chief executive officers, whistleblowers, brokers, gurus, spies, players, pawns and pundits. From this multitude of voices, some defend the corporation while others critique it. It's a documentary that does not shy away from providing differing perspectives and counterarguments, resulting in a nuanced and in-depth discussion about the role of corporations in society.

Effective, engaging and educative, The Corporation forces us to confront realities of corporate dominance in our society. It is a brilliant and timely piece of work that challenges our assumptions and offers radical ways to think about corporations and capitalism. The film prides itself on including a diverse set of perspectives, making it an extremely insightful and riveting watch for those interested in understanding the role of business corporations from economic, legal, and sociological perspectives.

The Corporation remains a significant documentary because it addresses the dominance of corporations and their impact on the planet and on us. With the participation of eminent figures in the field and backed by a strong research foundation, The Corporation unfurls a story that encourages its viewers to question the power and ethics of corporations in our increasingly globalized world. The film functions as an eye-opening introduction to the modern corporation, offering a fascinating and comprehensive insight into an institution that has come to wield extraordinary influence and power in contemporary society.