Informative and possibly transformative, the documentary Capital in the Twenty-First Century offers a stunning history lesson of the past 200-plus years. Focusing on the turbulent 20th century, director Justin Pemberton makes a convincing case that capital has been civilization’s driving force over that stretch, and that greed and improper taxation have been at the root of humanity’s major global problems.
Based on the bestseller by French economist Thomas Piketty — a frequent talking head here, along with other well-spoken experts in his field — the film makes succinct, straightforward points with help from stunning, original footage of wealth and poverty that suggest Pemberton would be a great candidate to helm a fourth Qatsi chapter.
Immune to dullness, Capital in the Twenty-First Century is thoroughly entertaining in its combination of quick edits, colorful graphics and inspired musical selections, but really shines in its charming use of clips from A Tale of Two Cities (1935), Pride and Prejudice (2005) and Les Misérables (2012) to depict historical income and class disparities.
Equally powerful are poignant scenes from lesser-known films that dramatize British colonial violence, plus Michael Douglas’ famously misunderstood “Greed is good” speech from Wall Street (1987) and various shots from Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium (2013), whose despictions of a desolate Earth for the masses, and an Edenic orbiting space station for the ultrarich feel less like sci-fi with each passing day.
No mere chronicle of the past, Capital in the Twenty-First Century also looks to the future, spurred by troubling patterns that are beginning to repeat themselves, as well as new issues, including baby boomers’ children being worse off than their parents.
Brutally tough on the obscenely wealthy and on corporations that evade taxes to boost profits without benefiting the communities in which their products are made, the filmmakers aim to reverse these and other destructive trends, and in the process raise a sobering call to action before it’s too late.
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