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Wal*Mart - The High Cost Of Low Price
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Editorial
Synopsis
Director Robert Greenwald (OUTFOXED) continues his expose of disturbing corporate doings with WAL-MART – THE HIGH COST OF LOW PRICE. From the benefits packages and treatment of staff to the effect of the company on small businesses, the documentary addresses the simple question: does America benefit from the presence of this low-priced chain? Employee testimony and statistics make Greenwald's case clear and effective, and the stories of enforced, unpaid overtime and the death of small businesses make for a compelling case against the company.
The high cost of a below par documentary
Review date: 2008-04-23 Rating: 2 out of 10
I think the film maker missed a trick by wearing his heart on his sleeve and smacking us in the face with his foregone conclusions before he'd even stated his case. He may as well be related to the small business owners he interviewed.
Examples include - ominous and sinister music and slo mo footage the second anything relating to Walmart appears, whilst poignant and soulful guitar solos feature whenever a small business owner talks.
Lots of American flags belonging to small business owners flying in the face of evil corporate America etc. YAWN... I don't disagree with the case he's trying to present, but the spoon fed sentimentality, one sidedness and sheer amateurishness of Greenwald's attempt evoked a hardened cynic in me I never knew existed.
This is a Michael Moore wannabe - a clumsily scripted, unbalanced and sentimental piece of work.
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Reviews
Essential viewing
Review date: 2008-03-01 Rating: 10 out of 10
This brilliant documentary is political film-making of real relevance, pertinent to anybody who has ever shopped in a supermarket. Which is basically all of us.
Wal-Mart is famed for its cheap t-shirts, cheap socks, and massive buckets of chicken wings all for a dollar each. Everything is cheaper in Wal-Mart; you can even buy coffins there. Wal-Mart is woven into the fabric of American life. No doubt about that. It is the biggest retail organisation on the planet.
Driven by the mantra `every year must be more profitable than the next,' Wal-Mart's march though America has been relentless. Unable to increase prices to maintain rising profits, Wal-Mart has been obliged to do 2 things instead: expand remorsefully and squeeze costs.
We don't have Wal-Mart here in the UK, but we do have TESCO. If you want to see what the Devil looks like, watch this movie. This is essential viewing.
Watch this.
Review date: 2007-05-22 Rating: 10 out of 10
There's nothing much I can add to Ian David Curry's excellent review below but I feel compelled to give my recommendations to this documentary. One of the previous reviewers said this was a one sided film. What is the other side? This film presents nothing but facts. For another opinion talk to the bosses at Walmart. One scene that I remember was a woman recalling being car jacked in the Walmart parking and threatened with her life. This is apparently a fairly common occurence in Walmart parking lots. This all happened with security cameras watching the whole thing. These cameras are not set up for the customers safety however, they are in place to watch out for any union reps who might appear. Get this. No police were called and no security appeared to help the lady.
Just Beyond Belief
Review date: 2007-04-12 Rating: 8 out of 10
As the title to this review states it is just beyond belief that a modern global business can behave like this and get away with it. Walmart a company that deliberately discriminates against its employees, underpays its employees, relies on the state to provide healthcare for its employees, recklessly causes environmental pollution and exploits foreign workers (who are in effect its employees) all in the name of profit. How are these actions rewarded? With paltry fines for pollution and huge state subsidies for development and expansion which effectively put the small shopkeeper out of business.
Another documentary in the vein of Who Killed The Electric Car? and Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room which just makes you despair.
one sided nonsense
Review date: 2006-08-06 Rating: 6 out of 10
just watched the film, it was good but i couldnt help but feel that it was one sided....if everything that was said in the film was true then Wal-Mart do use all the dirty tactics but
in the film they only interviewed a hand full of ex-employees out of a work force of over a million, surley with any work force of over a million and with 5000 stores there are going to be a few horror storys
absolutly no mention of the people who are in favour of wal-mart
even more one sided than a Michael Moore "film"
Product Details/Specifications
Director(s):
Recording label: Tartan Video
Manufacturer: Tartan Video
EAN: 5023965365828
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Anamorphic, PAL,
Release date: 2006-07-24
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 95 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2005
Language: English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired)
Language: English (Original Language)