Condensed from an apparent 33 hour initial cut, this Canadian documentary about the evolution of corporations in North America tends to ramble at times, but features lots of interesting information, even if one might be skeptical about some of it. The first stretch of the movie is the best as the filmmakers use a checklist of symptoms of psychopathic behaviour to conclude that a corporation operates like a psychopath, which is all the more fascinating when one considers legal precedents that allow corporations to have the rights of a human being, to sue others, buy investments and so forth. After this initial stretch, the film is a bit of a bumpy ride with far too much footage recycled from Michael Moore's 'The Big One' for its own good; Mikela Jay's cold and impersonal voice-over narration is a minus too. The majority of the archive footage here is very well used though, perfectly juxtaposed against dialogue and narration. There are some captivating interviews too, most notably with a Goodyear CEO who simply rules corporations off as an expected "consequence of modern capitalism". There is also an interesting stretch towards the end of the film dedicated to corporations manipulating kids due to their 'pester power' when it comes to pleading for their parents to buy certain items. In fact, the film flies by very quickly for a 2.5 hour documentary.
Review of The Corporation
