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"Throw stones at the man, but just know that he may throw a few back."
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A 2009 documentary film directed by Michael Moore.
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Rating:
Capitalism: A Love Story is nothing short of a battle cry, and quite frankly, at this day and age that's about the only thing such a documentary can be. Had it been a documentary exclusively about the rich getting richer than it would be a wasted effort. Stories of greed and draconian executives have been so often repeated that these days it's doubtful whether or not they will elicit a response from the public. Moore knows this, and so he devotes about half of his documentary to those folks who don't just sit down and take it. This includes common folk, academians as well as a few capitol hill politicians.
+5
It's easy to say we've heard all of this before, and if we have than the documentary seems to wonder why we are not doing anything about it. And if we haven't heard all of this before, then Moore throws at us a few curve balls to remind us as to why we should still be angry.
For instance, my jaw dropped when Moore introduced me and the rest of his unsuspecting audience to what's called "Dead Peasants Insurance". As the term sounds, it is a life insurance policy that an employer can take on its employees. Unbenkwonst to the insured employee, the employer names itself as the beneficiary. To call such a tactic morbid is obvious. But considering that the policy is most lucrative when the employee dies young is a wee-bit scary. The documentary presents two examples of bereaved families that discover after the fact that the death of a loved one earned a former employer millions. Moore lists a few of the corporations that indulge this practise and they are names that we have all heard of.
Moore knows his audience. And his enemies. He knows that those who fall outside his audience will defend their antics with capitalist platitudes that we've all heard before. He also knows that many within his audience may be seduced by these platitudes. His pre-emptive response comes from a church minister who says that he's in awe of the propoganda that successfully convinces the victims of the system to become supporters of it. Moore hopes to win back these wayward audiences by showing exactly what this victimization means. Examples of familes being evicted from their homes after foreclosure and men and women losing their jobs despite billions in taxpayer bailout money are the fuel to what Moore hopes to become a fire.
Yes, he is hoping for a fire. This may be Moore's angriest documentary yet. And by the end you get the feeling that part of his frustration is with us. His closing words are something to the effect of I can't keep doing this, not unless you -- the audience -- stand up and do something about this. He's right to say this, and he's brave to say this. No doubt this will all be another invitation to throw stones at the man. But be careful. I can see in his eye that he's prepared to throw a few back.
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Sharrie
October 13, 2009
I don't think there'd be a revolution just because someone is angry... NOT unless there is an organized theme here. Otherwise, life will be life and history WILL repeat itself!!! There's a 10% unemployment in the U.S., do you see the unemployed doing anything that's earth moving?
sniffcode
October 13, 2009
The documentary shows examples of communities and laid-off workers taking stands against banks and their employers...successfully. So apparently Michael Moore is not the only person who is angry. Many of America's unemployed find, uh, "alternative employment", on the streets. These are people capable of a revolution, but at the moment they seem intent on only revolting against each other. But occasionally they do come out and play, like in 1992.
Sharrie
April 03, 2011
I just watched it and wrote a review on it. Next, Inside Job! Have you seen it yet?
sniffcode
April 04, 2011
I did see Inside Job Sharrie. But I must confess, my slow brain struggled with keeping up with the details of that documentary. I'm even worse at accounting then the people targeted in these films LOL. I will probably have to see it a few times. I would recommend watching "The End of Poverty?" next.
Sharrie
April 05, 2011
Yeah, it's more for those in the industry. A little complicated for others to grasp :-) The End of Poverty? Certainly! I'll second that!!! Thanks for the tip, I'll try to look for it!
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woopak_the_thrill
October 05, 2009
nice review. Not really a big fan of Moore's but I will give this a rent when the dvd drops. Thanks for putting this review out there.
sniffcode
October 05, 2009
Definitely worthy of our attention. I have not yet seen Sicko. After seeing this one I just added Sicko to my Netflix and bumped it up to number 2.
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More Capitalism: A Love Story reviews
Whether you love or hate Michael Moore and his movies, we'll probably agree on two things: His movies ARE provocative, and they're at least a little one-sided. Despite the latter criticism, I have enjoyed his latest offerings, and you may count me as a newbie since I have only seen his latest two overall: Sicko, and now, Capitalism: A Love Story. Just like in Sicko, Moore uses humor and selected information … more
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Compliments (54)
Humorous, enlightening and thought provoking. Looking at Capitalism from different angles through Hollywood lenses. It details the tax cuts introduced in the Reagan Era to the extent that the rich get richer. Corporations and Wall Street then ruled the country from then on. Productivity increased and the goal of corporations is for short term profits. The stock markets skyrocketed for 2 decades and CEOs were paid huge bonuses. The motorcar industry and the bankruptcy of … more
Comments (1)
Compliments (24)
Highly entertaining and informative. A film for those interested in what happened in Wall Street 2 years ago and the truth behind the world's recession!
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Jordan (sniffcode)
Information glutton. Neo•Luddite.
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About this topic
Capitalism: A Love Story is a 2009 documentary film directed by Michael Moore. The film centers on the financial crisis of 2007–2009 and the recovery stimulus, while putting forward an indictment of the current economic order in the United States and capitalism in general. Topics covered include everything from Wall Street's "casino mentality", for-profit prisons, Goldman Sachs' influence in Washington, DC, the poverty-level of many airline pilots, the large wave of home foreclosures, and the consequences of "runaway greed." The film will be widely released to the public in the United States on October 2, 2009.
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