No, there isn't a sequel for "The Corporation" already, its just an update on the previous entry from me as tonight I was able to see a pre-release screening of the documentary. I have to say after a slightly shaky start it, in my opinion it quickly turned into a very definitive and important work. In fact I would put this up there with Manufacturing Consent as a must see movie for changing the way you think about the world around you. The history of corporations and corporate personhood are actually covered quite quickly, which is just as well as although fascinating, they don't make for a high impact viewing experience. Which left the bulk of the running time (which must have been about two hours) for a very wide ranging and at times, in depth, review of all aspects of corporations and how they impact your day to day life. In fact not just your life, but your future, your children's future and everyone in the worlds life and future - whether you realize it or not.
Filmed in a very similar style to Chomsky's "Manufacturing Consent" (hardly surprising since Achbar was a co-director of MC), it draws on a lot of historical footage, some contemporary images, and a great deal of interviews with some leading acolytes of philosophical, sociological and economic thinking including Noam Chomsky, Milton Friedman, Howard Zinn, and yes that pain in the ass troublemaker, Michael Moore. Even more surprising is they actually capture a great number of captains of industry and people from the business world talking candidly about some very surprising things. Like the former CEOs of Shell, and Goodyear talking about environmental policies, or a woman who took great pride in describing how important to selling kids products it is to make the kids nag their parents and how her company devises advertising that encourages kids to do just that. Or the Wall Street commodities trader saying how probably every trader on the streets first thought after hearing about 9/11 was "How much did the price of gold go up?" Or the two investigative reporters for Fox who dug up the huge story about how Monsanto lied about the harmful effects of rBST in milk, only to find that Fox after being threatened by Monsanto then tried to kill the story, then tried to fire them, then tried to bribe them to keep quiet, and then forced them to edure 8 months of 86 edits at the hands of a lawyer before showing it on TV.
The stories just go on and on. Individually you can write them off as just progressive scare mongoring. Together, as a lengthy and homogeneous work they have a much greater effect and really paint a quite depressing and at times shocking story of life out of balance with money. One in which unelected corporations are increasingly asserting their role as the true arbiters of what is right and wrong for us, their captive consumers and workers. Ultimately, it is suggested, they want to own ever last square inch of earth, sea and sky and let only the free market economy choose what is good and bad for humanity. This means take governments out of the picture and replace them with unelected trade organizations that will be final arbiter of power. Some very serious examples of how this is already going badly wrong in many countries. From sweatshops in Indonesia, to water riots in Bolivia, you see it all from the other perspective - the unincorporated working masses.
Finally we are given positive examples of how people can make a difference. For example Ray Anderson, CEO of Interface, the worlds largest manufacturer of carpets who had an epifany and realized that the entire first industrial revolution is just a giant Flugtag escapade over a cliff. Like the gungho Flugtag pilot we think we are flying i.e. we think we are growing, we think we are progressing and really getting somewhere. In reality we are just plundering in a true tyranny against future generations and the ground is rushing up to meeting us real, real fast now and the painful, messy landing is dead ahead. Addressing a meeting of business leaders Anderson pointedly says, "Do I know you well enough to greet you as my fellow plunderers?".
In the end if you walk into "The Corporation" having at least an inkling that not everything is right in the world (and who doesn't), then you may find this an enlightening experience, if not the epiphany you have been waiting for to walk out and feel that not only that you can make a difference, but that you must make a difference. Because we need everyone - people and businesses to pull together and help us avoid that splash landing at the bottom of the cliff formerly known as economic progress.