Analysis of the Movie, The Insider Essay -- Insider Movie Film Analys

The Insider (1999) is a film rife with ethical dilemmas, scruple and controversy. It is based on a true story related to a 1994 episode of the CBS news show 60 Minutes that never aired. The eyepatch puts Dr. Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) at odds with Brown & Williamson, the third largest tobacco companies in the country. Wigand was shoot from his position as Vice President of Research and Development, at which he was instructed to hide information related to the habit-forming nature of nicotine. The plot takes sour when Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino), producer for 60 Minutes, discovers that Wigand has a story to pick out. The best way for Wigand to tell that story is with the help of Bergman, via an question aired on 60 Minutes. However, tobacco companies have a history of viciously defending their profits, by whatever means necessary, and Brown & Williamson does just that. The story hits a climax as the interests and incentives of the television station CBS, 60 Minutes, Dr. Wi gand and Brown & Williamson are played out. portrayal of Business The film portrays business in an extremely nix light. It focuses on two central conflicts one betwixt Brown & Williamson and Wigand, the other between CBS Corporation and Bergman. Brown & Williamson is the primary antagonist. The film is ripe with examples of the bad things they do. Their principle, intimately damaging offense is deceit. They are charged with covering up the addictive properties of nicotine and finding ways to exploit it to increase profits. For example, in Wigands interview for 60 Minutes, he says that tobacco companies view cigarettes only as a delivery device for nicotine. He also says they take advantage of the addictive properties by manipulating and adj... ...ons, the business that power implies and the responsibility of media as a unified watchdog. It seems obvious that large corporations have a tendency to ignore the negative effects of their actions in favor of profit. This example, although sensationalized, still says to me that with power comes responsibility. It affirmed my feeling that a corporations goal cannot be just to house profit to shareholders, but there must also be an broker of social responsibility. It also made me think about medias part in business. I think it should be just as visualised in this film. Bergman relentlessly pursued the truth, using a very presumptive source. Too often today, media is spoon fed by corporations. Media has a responsibility to objectivity that can be important in keeping businesses honest. But, its really up to media to maintain that objectivity.