Documentary highlights criticisms of Wal-Mart business practices
Alexander Oliva
Issue date: 11/17/05 Section: News
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The documentary, although over-sentimental at times, is thorough and focused in its attack on Wal-Mart. The global retail giant, which is the world's largest company based on revenue, has come under criticism in recent years and been charged with taking part in immoral, illegal and harmful business practices.
Using interviews from current and former Wal-Mart employees, small business owners and community members, film director Robert Greenwald argues against Wal-Mart's business practices and the effect these practices have on employees, communities, shoppers and the environment.
Greenwald also directed Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism, the 2004 documentary on the Fox News Channel.
The movie begins with a speech by Wal-Mart CEO H. Lee Scott, Jr., touting Wal-Mart's successes, and quickly moves to Middleton, Ohio. The director slowly familiarizes the viewer with the town's small, family-owned businesses before showing the debilitating effect Wal-Mart has had on the town. The scene serves as a solid introduction that underscores the film's overall message that Wal-Mart does damage to the character and economy of small town communities.
The film's style of presentation is very effective, mixing personal stories and hard facts. The personal side of the story mostly focuses on small businesses being driven out of business, small towns that have been negatively affected by Wal-Mart and the hardships of employees.
The situation of Wal-Mart employees takes up a large part of the movie, focusing on the poverty-level income of many employees and their reliance on welfare, subsidized housing, public health care and food stamps, costing the country $1.5 billion, according to the film.
Other employee issues were systemic racism and sexism, the hiring of illegal immigrants being paid below minimum wage, forced overtime and an active anti-unionization policy.
The film also touches on the issues of environmental damage, Wal-Mart-owned sweatshops in China and India, and the more than $1 billion in subsidies the company receives annually.
Prior to the screening, organizers encouraged attendants to get involved with the Rhode Island branch of Jobs with Justice, a national worker's rights organization.
The faculty union sponsored the event.
