Crude

by Daniel Hunter | 12:47 pm 11/07/2010

Directed by: Joe Berlinger (4/5)

Latin America has a long history of being bent over the desk by the United States when it comes to resource exploitation. Crude offers the viewer a poignant yet stark account of this very act. For the most part, Crude is set in the beautiful Amazonian rainforests of Ecuador. Here, we are witness to the deceitful and ruthless behaviour of oil giant Chevron on its quest to accumulate more Texas tea. However, may I take this opportunity to say, fear not! This is not just a documentary for your vegan friend with dreadlocks and homemade pants.

What makes the film so brilliant is, well, many things. Let me try and pen just a few. Firstly, it is a documentary that contains a David-and-Goliath-style archetype. In this case David represents the Ecuadorian people and Goliath is, you guessed it, Chevron. Early on, we’re introduced to the admirable Adolfo Callejas, a patriotic, working-class Ecuadorian lawyer. Steve Donziger is a warm and funny US lawyer with the right contacts to take this high-stakes battle right to Chevron. Together, with the Ecuadorian people, Crude winds its way through the environmental, cultural, and personal damages caused to Ecuador’s habitats and her people by lucrative and negligent Chevron operations. Throughout the film we meet many wonderful Ecuadorian people whose voices had not been heard before this case.

Overall the documentary is full of vivid imagery, incredible stories and has a strong and addictive narrative arc.

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