Customer Reviews

Capitalism: A Love Story

5 star:		(118)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(31)

 

 

The short list of what can be considered documentary film classics has yet another wonderful addition by legendary filmmaker Michael Moore. It is a visual spanning of the history of corporate influence over our political leaders and how this has poisoned the entire establishment nearly beyond repair. I will never forget the segment of a presidential speech, showed roughly around the beginning of this film, of a man standing behind president Reagan who leans in and says angrily in his ear: "HURRY IT UP; WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!" The camera then freezes on Reagan's shocked face as the narrator simply asks, "Who speaks to the president like this?" It graphically shows you how much influence is measured by the corporations over our political leaders. This film in particular strikes higher notes than Moore's previous films in that it takes you back to the roots of earlier documentaries and brings out more ample and articulate forms of evidence in support of the general thesis. Capitalism: A Love Story seeks to expose the corruption of our varied form of greedy Capitalism, and to replace it with a more democratized base system, typically referred to as Leftist-Libertarianism or Libertarian-Socialism.

People in the United States generally speak of Socialism as something awful, pointing to Russia and China as examples of the dangers of far leftist thought. But if they would simply take the time to read into some of their literature of political theory, they would realize that there are branches within the movement which are infinitely distinct from those totalitarian nations. It is a category mistake to assume that socialism entails totalitarianism, as if what you see in Russia and China were totally across the board. To any of you interested in getting a thorough education on this subject, I would recommend you checking out the following books: Anarchism: From Theory to Practice Chomsky on Anarchism

This movie is absolutely wonderful. It is funny from the beginning to the end, yet "delightfully serious" at the same time (note the paradox). It is very unfortunate that this movie did not get the acclaim that it should have. More people should see it. It opens our minds and our hearts to the fact that capitalism is at the bottom of all this. Right in front of our eyes "capitalism" says that profit is more important than human need. How could this be? Is it more important for someone to make a profit or to give a needed operation to a sick child? Moore's attention to fundamental Judaic-Christian-Islamic values ultimately, that emphasize duties to one another and to "do things to the least of these" is noteworthy and refreshing. It is as if such fundamental spiritual wisdom has become lost. How unfortunate! It is a very moving film, especially toward the end when he has President Roosevelt give his famous Four Freedoms speech. In the mid 20th century, the US was such a moral leader. What happened? The movie could have been enhanced if Mr. Moore then spoke about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which to a large degree is a legacy of Roosevelt's Four Freedoms. The Universal Declaration, which includes rights to worship, rights to work, health care, adequate shelter, and security in old age, is now increasingly referred to as customary international law, which all nations must abide. In any event, this movie will definitely give us something to think about.

i saw Capitalism by Michael Moore and this movie really hit a nevre.

It's not just about Republicans or Democrats, it's about crooks on both sides of the issue. All are accountable in this current and ongoing financial mess.

From Hannity's God-Ronald Regan himself, to Clinton and W, this was a never ending cycle not so much of capitalism, but of greed overall.

Banks, Corporations, and money running this country. The Treasury department full of AIG people allowing fellow competition to fail while fattening their own pockets and that of their friends.

All are accountable. This movie really hits home when you see every day people being jived by the very people designed to take care of them. People loosing their homes and being thrown into the streets, one Congress-woman fired up with all the shenanigans going on while at the same time, leading Democrats are making back door deals with Bush and the Republican parties not for the betterment of the country, but for their own re-election.

The outcry became, do nothing, jobs are lost, economy collapses. So in their own personal survival greed, the Congress reached across the board and bailed the very banks who brought us to the brink of economic armageddon, only to see those banks payout their own bonuses before anything else.

In the true world of Capitalism, if you fail, you fail. Nobody bails out homeowners who lose their homes and are thrown into the street. Capitalism in reality is survival of the fittest, and yet here, when the Banks and mortgage companies failed, the Congress, not the people, bailed them out.

Moore's film is not only the best of his films i've ever seen, but it's also the most frustrating to watch knowing what happened.

Michael Moore's parting words in this documentary serve as a great summary of what he was trying to convey in his film:

"We live in the RICHEST country in the world. We all deserve a decent job, health care, a good education, a home to call our own. We all deserve FDR's dream. And it is a CRIME that we don't have it. And we never will, as long as we have a system that enriches the few at the expense of the many. Capitalism is an evil and you cannot regulate evil. You have to eliminate it and replace it with something that is good for ALL people. And that something is called DEMOCRACY."

Side Note: FDR's dream was the following (from his January 11, 1944 message to Congress on the State of the Union) -

It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy for the winning of a lasting peace and the establishment of an American standard of living higher than ever before known. We cannot be content, no matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of our people--whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth--is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure.
[...]
A new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all--regardless of station, race, or creed.
Among these are:
* The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;
* The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
* The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;
* The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;
* The right of every family to a decent home;
* The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
* The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
*The right to a good education.
All of these rights spell security.
[...]
America's own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for our citizens.
[...]
FOR UNLESS THERE IS SECURITY HERE AT HOME, THERE CANNOT BE LASTING PEACE IN THE WORLD.

Let me take the moment to give you TWO THINGS about this movie that made me take TWO STARS away from the five-star review it could of received...but first, let me make a disclaimer about Mr. Moore:

The last time I considered myself a "liberal" was for about a semester in college when I was interning under a "liberal" professor. Prior to that I was always conservative-minded...and pretty much still am, every college student goes through some sort of liberal phase. That being said, I think Michael Moore has always made great movies. Even though I don't agree with gun control, universal health care, or socialism, I still feel his films have provided an education on government and corporate corruption that a mass audience can enjoy while being enlightened. Moore's solutions are always a little too idealistic for my tastes, but I'm glad he has been there for 20+ years to be an agent of critical thinking to the general public.

That being said, here is what I DISLIKED about "Capitalism: A Love Story". (I am not going to talk about what I liked or agreed with in the film, because that was pretty much everything except for what I am about to mention).

First, I take a star away because this film seems to try to be anti-capitalism when it's real target is NOT capitalism but corruption WITHIN capitalism. Wal-Mart taking out life insurance policies on employees, privatized penal systems, and job-loss due to outsourcing are not default results of capitalism. These are examples of the greed and violation that occurs when capitalism leads to single entities having too much power. However, if it were not for capitalism, well, lets just say Michael Moore might have to show his movies after midnight in very private places to very select audiences.

Next, and this is the BIGGEST flaw of "Capitalism", I take a star away because of the severe [...]that Barrack Obama gets in the last third of this movie. I am not sure what the future holds for President Obama's legacy, but I do know that it is absolutely ludicrous to call a guy a saint before he has done a single thing. Also, take a look at guys like Paulson and Geitner...they still have jobs under Obama, don't they? In fact, aren't they more powerful under Obama? Read the news, day after day you'll see that Mr. Obama is putting more and more power in the hands of Wall Street cronies and the Federal Reserve.

I feel that Michael Moore is terribly mistaken in putting so much trust into the man who would be president. The reality is that Barrack Obama and the Democratic party are a different face to the same beast that employed George Bush and Bill Clinton. Powerful bankers, corrupt judges, lobbyists, greedy globalists...the presidents have carried out the bidding of these schmuck's since Kennedy was assassinated. Obama is no savior to the ailments of capitalism, he is just another sap who sold his soul to the evil machine.

This is one of Mikes best films yet , he takes on the real issues that have plagued our Country and been the cause of so many of our citizens suffering . In the "richest country in the world " people are being denied the most basic rights of humanity , a home , a decent paying job , life , liberty , all due to the lack of integrity of the big bankers and Corporations, This film shows the truth that the problems in America are not due to lack of money in our country , its due to greed of the few and lack of regulations on Corporate , Wall Street America . As always he is not only sincere and down to earth in his presentation , the point is made with true heart and soul . This movie is a must see , buy it and show it to everyone you know. Buy it through Amazon , they shipped it right away , thanks Amazon .

This movie is excellent...a real eye-opener in many respects. Even if you are aware of the current state of our country to some degree, this movie will shed much more light on the history behind it. It is an absolute travesty. I'm currently taking a college class called social stratification and so much of what is in Moore's movie is in my textbook. Moore sticks to the facts; there is no need to lie or embellish when the facts are bad enough. Every single American should see this movie. If you are moved by it, then share it with others. Buy it as gifts, loan it out, do whatever you need to do to encourage people to watch it and wake up. We need a revolution!!!

I'm not a good reviewer, but I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed this movie and found it highly informative, as are all of Michael Moore's movies. Despite the liberal bias, what stands out in this movie, and his others, is his obvious concern for the average American. He portrays just how the average worker is being forced to work more and more while their corporate bosses feed off of them with their large bonuses, etc. He calls our society not a democracy but a plutocracy. He uses humor to make this enjoyable, but it skewers those he makes fun of which I thoroughly enjoyed. This is a must see.

Capitalism: A Love Story kept me captivated from beginning to end. I love Michael Moore. I like documentaries that say the truth. Even though MM sometimes embellished too much in other documentaries, i.e. Bowling for Columbine. Here he hits the nail on the head. He makes us look at ourselves and the way Greed had destroyed this country. Loved the part about Wall Street.

Once again Michael Moore shows us on film what we might never have a chance to go out and see for ourselves. For those criticizing this film as anti American, America is not just about money. This great nation is about our people, their talents, their drive, their dreams. Pointing out where greed has gotten out of control and is hurting families and striking at the heart of our strength, our people, is what Michael Moore has done in this film. Thank you, Michael.