The documentary Inequality for All focuses on what happens to an economy when income inequality rates begin to sore sky high. Narrated by Robert Reich, he talks about how America came to be a nation of massive income inequality, the consequences of it and how to solve it. One of the most impressive things the film does, is a take a topic people study for years and turn it into an easily understandable 90-minute film. The documentary Inequality for All effectively got its message across through, accurate statistics, memorable visual aids, and real-life stores and firsthand accounts.
One of the most important points when arguing any topic is that the data that is being referenced is, recent, accurate and germane to the topic …show more content…
history—the Great Depression and the 2008 financial collapse—coincided with the largest disparity in wealth."(Dowd 1). One of the most memorable graphs is of a suspension bridge, with the Great Depression being one of the towers and the housing crises being the other. In between is the time of, “Great Prosperity” (Reich). The over all message is that massive income inequality led to both economic collapses. The deck of the bridge represents when income inequality was extremely low leading to economic ease and prosperity. What makes this graph even more important is that he pars it up with, who pays what in taxes. At the two towers, the rich paid a very small amount of tax relating to their income, while at the time of prosperity, the deck, the rich paid a bigger share of tax on wealth.
All this information is accumulated and depicted in the “The Virtuous Cycle” (Reich), another one of the film’s visual aid. The film depicts what happens when America has rates of low-income inequality combined with less tax cuts on the rich and in increase of labor unions. “The Virtuous Cycle” (Reich), shows what happens when America made higher education important. Americas could get better paying jobs. Families spent more which let to job growth. Job growth led to more tax revenue, which allowed the government to invest more in the public sector. All coming together …show more content…
One reviewer writes, “Wisely, Kornbluth strives to put a human face on the situation, focusing on several families who represent hard-working citizens who are barely making ends meet with their shrinking paychecks—let alone building up any savings."(Wloszczyna ). Getting first had footage of people, barely making ends meet, is one of the most effective tools the film uses. Allowing the audience to connect on a personal level to the struggles these families are facing. Some viewers might even be able to relate.
Another important tool the film uses, is the interviews with some very wealthy Americans, addressing the same problem the move does. The filmmakers interview a highly successful pillow manufacture Nick Hanauer, and he explains some of the problems the system has and ways to address it. Hanauer explains the it is the middle class, not him who are the job creators and that the American economy needs to focus on the middle class and work its way out. Both the families and the interviews with some very wealthy people all help to create not just a film of number and charts, but one or real like effects and