Customer Reviews

McLibel [DVD] [2005]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For those of you who like documentary style DVDs' then this is one to watch. Two people Helen Steel and Dave Morris were distributing leaflets outside a McDonalds in the 1980's, which critiscised company working practises and environmental degredation. Suddenly they found themselves sued for libel by the instantly world recognisable McDonalds Corporation itself.

Consider the David and Goliath scenario! Two ordinary members of the public, not allowed legal aid, and with no legal experience, thereby forced to defend themselves. Against them was set the full might of the McDonalds corporation able to afford whole teams of lawyers to put the opposing side of the argument.

The trial originally estimated to last not more than 3 to 4 weeks, soon rolled into years and become the longest in English legal history.

I took great heart in viewing this DVD because it shows how individuals really can make a difference when they refuse to back down against seemingly insurmountable odds and believe that what they are doing is right.

There are two DVDs in this issue with considerable overlapping of the material. However the second one is updated with the ruling from the European Court of Human Rights in 2005. On the first DVD covering the court case in 1997, there is generous additional material including press conferences and interviews with key individuals (well worth watching) who are part of the story as well as a clever re-enactment of many of the court scenes using original transcripts. The DVDs follow the highs and lows of the McLibel Two in such a way it makes you feel you are there with them. That is what I liked most about this DVD - and the way it was made on a shoestring. However it only gets 4 stars because there was slightly too much overlapping material - like watching the same program twice.

This a great documentary about the saga of two skint London-based activists up against the McDonalds multinational.It shows the lengths that multinationals will go to to terrorise their critics into silence,but also shows that popular resistance can be tapped and can defeat even the biggest of Goliaths.
It presents a less than rosy description of McDonalds and it's sins(selling non-nutritious food,exploiting children and it's own workers,misleading advertising etc).People who detest multinationals and all their works will feel vindicated,even those of a more right-wing bent will find it hard to defend McDonalds after watching this.
In this DVD set,you get the original 1997 documentary and an updated one from 2006,where the two activists take the case to Strasbourg and the European Court of Human Rights.I thought the first one was better,but they're both good.
I suppose I can expect an email from McDonalds' lawyers after posting this!!!

Having followed this battle from affar for many years, I found this docu-film a fantastic decade crosser!

McDonalds in recent years have quite visually made changes to their image and menu. In my opinion much of this has been due to the actions of London Greenpeace. Whilst it is easy to overlook the dated stats and data of the film, it is without a doubt a story of Goliath and David proportions. David of course is victourious!!!

Any down in the mouth "antagonists of the state" should watch this as part of a relaxing evening. Then, when re-inspired get out there and kick the systems arse, through whatever medium is your choice :)

enter here all who have given up and see that there is still hope, two weedy, lovable and very kindly folk take on the big CORPORATION and win.
top stuff, educational, funny, witty, inspiring,and, most important of all 100% true , no artificial additives, whiter than white bleach or super size Mc spin.

Franny Armstrong's David and Goliath tale is a wonderful piece of thinking cinema. In brief, it tells the story of how two north London activists took on the McDonald's empire and won-if not an outright victory (not initially, at least)- but at the very least caused a major upset to the corporation; caused it some seriously bad publicity, a drop in sales and made people think about its entire business model. All this began with a leaflet campaign originating with a tiny environmental group with very meagre resources. McDonald's preferred tactic at this time was to use UK libel laws to quash any criticism of its practices. McDonald's had cowed some pretty big names through this approach (including the Guardian and the BBC) Dave and Helen however were made of stronger stuff. They took on not only McDonalds but also their formidable legal team which was (needless to say) the best that money could buy. Helen and Dave weren't just taking on McDonald's but the entire legal system as well (it later transpires that the Police also took sides. Guess whose?)

All of this could have been presented in a way that was completely dry as dust but the film is engaging throughout and Dave and Helen come across as thoroughly decent human beings. I enjoyed watching them and cheered them every step of the way. They were also genuine innovators. In 1996 (when the internet was still in its infancy) they founded the McSpotlight campaign as a way of side stepping the corporate owned media.

I found this film to be encouraging, inspiring and a call to arms. We need more grass roots activism on a variety of issues and hopefully Helen and Dave's success will encourage other people to stand up for what they believe in.

What an interesting documentary, two people with relatively little financial assistance and zero legal training taken to court by McDonalds over leaflets they handed out. The proceedings have taken the best part of 15 years out of their lives and brought their case to the masses in a way their leaflets never could. Recommended viewing!

The arrogance of the multinational corporation is illustrated beautifully by two friends refusing to bow down to them. McDonald's uses Britain's archane and archaic libel laws to try to bully Greenpeace activists to stop protesting McDonald's continued devastation of the rainforests, maltreatment of staff- among a litany of other crimes against humanity that corporations perpetrate every day. McDonald's fails in it's task, spending millions, whereas Dave and Helen only spend their bus fares. A beautiful modern tale of our times.

McLibel
This should be required viewing for all schools and compulsory for the houses of lords and commons. Future generations will judge the publicity items like this get in comparison to sport and scantily clad youths. Obesity should be renamed McBesity!

An interesting look at the events of this ground breaking case with lots to get your teeth into. Worth a look.

What a great documentary this is, showing how ordinary people (of limited financial circumstances) can take on a major corporation and win. Helen Steel and Dave Morris devoted years of their lives to defending a point of principle; that ordinary people can disseminate the truth behind the unfair and misleading practices that are inherent to many major global corporations.

A muust watch.