The Movie we will discuss is “The Insider” 1999 by Michael Mann in 5 th November

Question

The Movie we will discuss is “The Insider” 1999 by Michael Mann in 5th November 1999.

It is based on corporate law and how the corporate negotiates and hides stories to save corporate from public viewing, how confidentiality agreements protect the organizations and how they misuse power over employees.

The focuses on the 60-minute interview given by a Tobacco company insider Mr. Wigand who knew how cigarette manufacturing companies made the consumers addicted by adding certain ingredients (This is unethical practice and is done without consumers information). All tobacco companies have made a pact to follow certain practices which are there for their common good and against the law of monopolistic activities.

The entire episode he had discussed in an Interview with Mr. Bergman of CBS channel.

Here the correspondent Mr. Bergman anticipates the problem with CBS airing the interview as Mr. Wigand has a confidentiality agreement with its old company which restricts him to sharing the inside details of the tobacco company. Again law helps to protect the confidentiality of the organizations. Though they have unethical practices and are not following laws of product conformance. He was also sacked because he discussed the addictive ingredients of the cigarette.

The channel turns its back on the interview and Mr. Wigand is left alone to face threats, legal battles a marital dispute. He goes to FBI but gets no support from them and they treat him with hostility it clearly indicates how the corporate world is closely knit. The organization and TV channels are hands in glove to promote their business at large. Tobacco companies might be funding and sponsoring many of their shows and events. Also, the fear of legal battle with a large Tobacco company which CBS does not want. Again indicates how the law is retarding overall justice to the consumers.

He has to face a legal battle against his former company but he goes and deposes the entire matter in court. His interview now is taken with a big question mark and entire law and attorneys have gone on record asking him to prove its validity. Bergman the interviewer is asked to take a vacation from his job as he has shown as going against CBS rules. Later Bergman discloses full story to a newspaper. CBS calls him a betrayer but later on air the interview but it’s too late as its already a lot of negativity due to legal pressures. This clearly indicates how the corporate law of protection can be used by moneyed against the employees and to keep on selling a product which has lethal ingredients. Entire setup has lost its ethical stand in some ways and bowed down to corporate pressures.

The Question is: what does the movie show about the law and legal procedure? (500 words or more )

Explanation / Answer

The movie "The Insider" 1999 by Michael Mann is based on corporate law. The movie is basically picturized on what the corporate is doing by keeping people in dark. The corporate tries to hide stories to save themselves from public enquiries. The law protects the organizations through confidentiality agreements.

The focus is on the interview given by a Tobacco company insider Mr. Wigand who is well aware of the activities of the cigarette manufacturing companies. In his interview he unveils the curtain over the secrets of tobacco manufacturing companies. He told the CBS news channel that how the tobacco companies are adding certain harmful ingredients which makes people addicted to it. This is illegal which is done without the consent of consumers. There are laws for all tobacco companies but they are going out of it.

The TV channel has a strong support from the tobacco companies. So it doesn't want to air the interview of Mr. Wigand. Although the company is doing its job in an unethical way & not following the laws,still it is supported by law. But Mr. Wigand, an employee of a tobacco company was sacked for disclosing the addictive ingredients of cigarette. Mr. Wigand didn't get any support from the news channel, so he tried to solve this problem by himself. He went to FBI but return back with empty hand. It clearly indicates that how corporate world has made it's foundation strong. The tobacco company & the news channels go hand in hand because the companies pay a huge amount to news channels for promotion of their products. This also indicates how the law is preventing justice to innocent consumers, who are unaware of the company's unethical activities.

After that Mr. Wigand is asked by the laws and attorneys to prove his statement as he brings the matter to the court. The news channel later on aired the interview as it was already disclosed to a newspaper media. It clearly indicates that how the corporate law can be used by throwing money to the employees and the other people who are associated to the company and to continue selling a product which has destructive ingredients. The news channel leaked the interview by coming under the legal pressure but till that the channel had kept it confidential. The channel owners have no care for the public, they are blindly supporting the corporate world with a intention of popularity of their channel. But this is quite unethical and disgusting.

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