The Shock Doctrine

Filmmakers Winterbottom and Whitecross equate 1950s electroshock therapy and later interrogation torture scandals with economist Milton Friedman's advocacy of free markets. They start by examining the role of free market economics in the repressive 1970s regimes of Chile and Argentina. They look at the chaos that ensued in Russia after its move to a free market. They ascribe income inequalities and financial crises to the effects of financial deregulation and privatization. Their film revolves around clips from Friedman's book The Shock Doctrine (2007) and of social activist Naomi Klein, who argues that Friedman's ideas reversed decades of progressive economic reforms. The film ties Klein's scenes with news bits, connecting narration, and comments from experts. The filmmakers include disturbing scenes of torture and other acts of violence to underscore their theme of free market economics spawning repression and conflict. While the film reflects societal outrage against those culpable for the 2008 financial debacle, it is disjunctive and heavy-handed and is recommended only for viewers wishing a broad range of economic opinion. Both Charles Ferguson's Academy Award-winning Inside Job and Niall Ferguson's insightful Ascent of Money would be more considered viewing.—Lawrence R. Maxted, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA