The Corporation (2003) is a Canadian documentary directed by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott, with a screenplay by Joel Bakan, which examines the legal and ethical nature of large corporations. The film is structured around a provocative hypothesis: if corporations are considered legal persons, what kind of personality do they exhibit? Drawing on the criteria of the DSM-IV and the contributions of specialist Robert D. Hare, it argues that the structural behavior of the modern corporation aligns with traits characteristic of psychopathy.
The film emerged in a context shaped by neoliberal expansion during the 1980s and 1990s, the consolidation of multinational corporations, and the rise of the anti-globalization movement following Seattle (1999). The Enron and WorldCom scandals further deepened public distrust toward corporate power. Within this historical, political, and economic framework, the documentary proposes a critical reassessment of the role of corporations in contemporary democracy.
The structure is organized into three parts and begins with a legal milestone: in 1886, the United States Supreme Court recognized corporations as having rights similar to those of individuals under the Fourteenth Amendment. From this legal foundation, the film applies a clinical analysis to the corporate entity through more than forty interviews. Critical voices such as Naomi Klein and Vandana Shiva appear alongside free-market advocates like Milton Friedman, creating a plural debate.
The documentary examines cases that illustrate its thesis: the privatization of water in Cochabamba (2000), IBM’s role in the Nazi regime, and corporate influence over the media. It also addresses historical episodes such as the so-called “Business Plot” against Franklin D. Roosevelt. The film combines denunciation, legal analysis, and ethical reflection, maintaining a formal tone and a pedagogical purpose.
Rather than limiting itself to criticism, it presents alternatives and examples of corporate transformation, such as Ray Anderson of Interface, who shifted toward sustainability. Released to international acclaim and awarded at Sundance (2004), it became a landmark in political documentary cinema. In 2020, a sequel titled The New Corporation was released, updating the diagnosis of the relationship between corporations and democracy.