Saving Capitalism

The Netflix Original Saving Capitalism starts off talking about how all people want is their voices to be heard. It shows footage of people protesting in the streets and in buildings. It follows Robert Reich, the author of Saving Capitalism and the Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton. The film shows Reich speaking in different venues. It also shows him speaking on CNN where he is being interviewed about the free market. He hooks viewers into the show by talking about how people think that the system is rigged so that the rich continue to get richer. He thinks this belief is driven by people who do not understand how the system works. He decides that he wants to go to the places that people do not understand how capitalism works, and wants to teach them. He goes to Kansas City, Missouri and offers a questioning session for people who want the system changed. A sign is strategically placed in the background that says "I'm Standing for a Moral Economy." It only shows Reich answering one of the questions, but it is probably the most important question that was asked.
We then see a news clip of a reporter talking about how under the Clinton presidency new jobs were becoming available, but poverty wages were increasing. It then cuts to Reich talking about how he wanted to implement change for those in the middle and poor class.
Reich throughout the film dresses for his audience. In scenes where he is speaking in nice venues, or speaking professionally, he is dressed in a suit. It shows him in another scene where he is out talking to rural Americans. In this scene he is wearing jeans and a hoodie. The film then shifts to a farmer talking about his experience with the economy. He talks about how his expected profit the year is projected to be 50% less than what it was the past year. It shows visuals on how corporate profits before taxes hit their highest point in 2014 but at the same time real gdp in the labor force has decreased. This film also shows that people in 70% of the people in the US trusted the government to do the right thing in 1977. However, in 2017 just 20% trust the government.
Reich goes on to talk about how those of the higher class have gone about getting rules changed to benefit themselves while hurting others. After explaining how people have gone about this, he sits down to dinner with lobbyist and converses about how people view politics in the economy. One of the man speaking, talks about how he believes that those in power do things in their own self interest. Most of the people talk to Reich about how capitalism is good, and how it is the american dream. Reich does not take a stand during this part he just hears people out. He then eventually starts to take his stand on how people of the lower class should be paid more. They conduct an interview with a woman who works and McDonald's and barely makes ends meet. He talks about how he wanted to cut tax subsidies on large corporations. He lost this battle, then the film shows visuals of how much large corporations get in subsidies. This is where the film takes its turn away from capitalism.
It is an interesting documentary, because its title draws just about everyone in. If the the film had a title that made people belief that it would be against capitalism, a lot of people probably would not watch it.