Food, Inc.
Robert Kenner’s Food, Inc. is certainly one of the effective documentaries I’ve seen in a while. It presents its case with clarity and concision, creating a sense of urgency and a sense of hope in simultaneous fashion. In presenting a cause that I really believe in, it struck a personal note with me that certainly made my experience of watching it all the more riveting. Nevertheless, I do think Food, Inc. has universal appeal and should be seen by as large an audience as possible.
Food, Inc. discusses the business industry that is the food industry in the United States. The corporate aspects of it are examined at length, with several staggering revelations included. Kenner uses the narration of Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser to keep the documentary moving, but the pure presentation of facts is enough given the gravity of the subject. This is a subject that should be taken seriously and, thankfully, Kenner treats it as such.
The film begins by concerning itself with the industrial production of meat. We are told that there are only a handful of slaughterhouses remaining in America and the result of this is that our meat is generally coming from multiple different animals. This is not only an unsustainable practice but it is an unsafe one. Using a variety of experts, Kenner undoes the meat industry succinctly without preaching.
Food, Inc. continues with a searing indictment of the industrial production of fruits, vegetables and grains. It turns out that the vegetarians aren’t safe either, as we’re shown the economic and environmental dangers of the mass production of these elements. Corn, it is revealed, is one of the most basic building blocks to countless American foods and products. The last segment of the picture revolves around the legal muscle that America’s food giants use to support their power.
Kenner does a brilliant job exposing the various parts of the food industry, tearing it apart with precision interviews and statistics that waste little time at getting down to the point. Industry is crippling the way people consume food and is threatening the very building blocks of what we put into our mouths. This is driven home with the tragic case of Kevin Kowalcyk, a two-year-old boy who ate a hamburger and died from E. coli bacteria twelve days later.
Food, Inc. vitally explores the need for proper food labelling and angrily highlights those who stand in the way of letting us know what exactly is in the food we eat. There could not be a more vital issue here and Kenner intensely outlines this, ensuring that we know what’s at stake while also providing evidence for hope in the tale of the tobacco industry and the consumer rebellion that took place there.
At the end of the day, Food, Inc. remains one of the most vital and serious documentaries of recent memory. It is presented succinctly and it has a fiery pace, drilling important facts into the consciousness without coming across as preachy. It strays from preaching doomsday scenarios, gratefully, and sticks to the facts and figures that make this situation so crucial. We must address what is happening to our food and we must address it now. Further ignorance on this issue is unacceptable.
For more information, visit the Official Food, Inc. website.
Trailer:
