Z/Web

I tried to prepare myself for bias before watching this anti-Wal-Mart documentary. I have mixed feelings about the company and wanted to keep an open mind. Unfortunately, this film makes no attempt at all at balance: its message is purely “Wal-Mart is evil” and no other viewpoint is even given a hint of exposure. That makes me question many of the film’s conclusions. I really would like to know how pro-Wal-Mart people about some of the issues the film raises, but of course those views are not presented, so I’m left with a confusion of doubts and concerns. The real way to do a documentary like this is to show both sides and let the viewer make the decision about which is right. This one leans so blatantly in one direction it makes me want to lean the other way just out of spite! (I shopped at Wal-Mart immediately after seeing the film. It wasn’t intentional — I needed stuff at the pharmacy and they have the best prices for what I needed.) The film is also a bit shrill in some of its accusations. For instance, using emotional images of babies of single mothers who work at Wal-Mart but can’t afford health care, interviews with small business owners who lost their business when Wal-Mart moved in, the whole segment on Wal-Mart parking lots’ lack of security by showing emotional people who’d been mugged or raped, and the emphasis on “poor” Chinese Wal-Mart factory workers all felt manipulative to me. That isn’t to say that there isn’t truth in the film: some of the facts and statistics expressed in the film are enlightening and I’m sure Wal-Mart’s not perfect and certainly needs to make improvements, but the way the film presents these things they come across weaker than they should. Just not good film-making. It’s preaching to the choir — it’s not going to convince anyone to change their mind. People who already hate Wal-Mart will have new reasons for their hatred. Look at the genius of Super Size Me: it judged but only after the facts came in. Initially it was an experiment with no pre-drawn conclusion. That’s a much more convincing way to argue. I was not convinced or impressed by this weak film. Disappointing, as I’d hoped to be enlightened.