Corporation, The (ATOM Study Guide)

The Corporation (Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott and Joel Bakan, 2004) is a Canadian documentary about the institution of the corporation. One hundred and fifty years ago, the corporation was a relatively insignificant entity. Today, it is a vivid, dramatic and pervasive presence in all our lives. Like the Church, the Monarchy and the Communist Party in other times and places, the Corporation is today's dominant institution.

The film is a critical exposé of the corporation's inner workings, history, controversial impacts and possible future. Featuring a range of interviews with a variety of participants, The Corporation charts the spectacular rise of the institution whose overriding mission is to make a profit. However, the corporation's profit-driven mission predisposes it toward characteristics that, in a person, would be considered objectionable or even dangerous.

But in exploring and exposing the power and influence of the corporation this documentary also seeks to provide positive messages of hope, and suggest ways that people can wrest control of their lives from this institution.