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By
DEBORAH NICOL
Leave it to the creator of
"Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism" to
delve into the slimy multibillion-dollar
underworld of the Walton empire. Director Robert
Greenwald leads his investigative documentary crew
on a fact-finding mission for the truth, and
discovers a shocking number of unsettling
categories of wrongdoing within this corporation.
The documentary begins simply enough, focusing on
the Hunter family of Middlefield, Ohio, which has
run a small town hardware store for generations
but have recently been driven out of business due
to the opening of a Wal-Mart Superstore. The tale
unfolds slowly and sadly, and it is easy to
understand the unfair competition Wal-Mart
presents to mom-and-pop operations. But the folks
at Brave New Films are not presenting a fluff
piece for the local news. They mean to educate,
and they mean business. What follows is a series
of horrendously true stories from all over the
country and all over the world, of the
unapologetic stamp Wal-Mart leaves on the working
class.
Wages of Wal-Mart employees are so low that the
workers cannot afford to join the business health
plan, and are in fact encouraged to participate in
humiliating government assistance plans such as
WIC and Medicaid. Those that attempt to create
unions in order to improve their conditions are
forced under the thumb of threatening
intimidation, and may soon find themselves without
a job. Considering that Wal-Mart probably shut
down local competition, other job opportunities
may be scarce. When there are family mouths to
feed, pride is swallowed and unpaid overtime is
accepted.
Greenwald and company have tracked down not only
prior mistreated employees, but the managers who
were taught the skills of oppression and who use
this film as a confessional. They learned to keep
an eye out for trouble-makers (those that may
desire a union), how to illegally switch hours
from overtime, and how to keep expenses low with a
minimum staff working far more hours than would
ever be reported.
New Wal-Mart stores provide the local communities
little chance from the start. They are often
funded by local government subsidies (totaling
billions nationwide) not afforded to small local
businesses, much less much needed school systems.
Environmental practices are next to nil unless
undue attention is brought by the media.
Despite ad campaigns that scream "Made in
America," much of Wal-Mart's merchandise is
created in worldwide sweatshops under unlivable
conditions. Workers in China, Bangladesh, and
Honduras find themselves in even worse conditions
than their American counterparts in terms of their
employment options. And despite the enormous
wealth accrued by Sam Walton's descendants, a
pittance is given to charities compared to
millions donated by their own underpaid workers.
Greenwald does not leave the viewer crying,
however. Small towns all over the nation have
begun to fight the system and discourage future
Wal-Mart developments. As more become educated of
the undesired impact of the megalo-glomerate, more
tackle the David and Goliath battles to ensure
happier and healthier communities. With this
documentary as a guide, Greenwald hopes that
viewers become civically involved in order to
guarantee a strong, freethinking nation.
Extras on this disc are numerous. The director
provides introductions to a short version of the
film, and to a Making Of featurette, which
outlines the uphill battle of the creators to get
current and previous employees to speak out from
within the culture of fear Wal-Mart creates. There
is a separate story of a Wal-Mart in Quebec that
was shut down immediately after a union was
formed, and one on Wal-Mart's trickle-down effects
to farmers in England. Longer excerpts of
anti-Wal-Mart church sermons are shown, and a
hats-off to the many companies already battling
against the company, especially focusing on Sprawl
Busters. All of the fake Wal-Mart commercials are
shown, which were used as ads for the movie
(including humorous ones with James Cromwell and
Frances Fisher). |
