Chevron reappears as the villain in Joe Berlinger's compelling documentary following the progress of a class action lawsuit against the multinational corporation on behalf of more than 30,000 people of the Ecuadorean Amazon. Lawyers, Pablo Fajardo, a local and former employee of Chevron, and American Steven Donziger, are David against Chevron's Goliath of attorneys and legal treasure chest. They accuse Chevron during field trials in the Amazon of contaminating 1700 square miles by dumping oil that surpasses that done by the Exxon Valdez. The indigenous people are suffering from a high rate of cancer caused by drinking contaminated water. Naturally Chevron takes no responsibility and blames the local subsidiary for the dumping. Chevron's best defense is to stall the proceedings until Fajardo and Donziger can no longer afford to pursue the case. The high production value serves the delivery of the narrative that spans New York, Dallas, and Ecuador.
-GUSTAVIUS SMITH
