Educational Media Reviews Online

Chronicling one of the worst industrial disasters in world history, this documentary raises a series of important questions associated with our increasingly inter-connected world. What responsibilities do multi-national corporations bear for their activities around the globe? Where should disputes be heard when they arise from alleged corporate shortcomings – in the country where the incidents occur or in the nation where the company has its headquarters?

As the documentary’s title suggests, the 1984 Union Carbide disaster at Bhopal is presented as a court case. The film focuses on an attorney’s effort to obtain economic compensation for victims’ families and those who continue to suffer the ill effects of this tragedy. Eyewitness testimonies provide a vivid picture of the human suffering caused by the gas leak at the Union Carbide plant. The documentary also presents various exhibits – Union Carbide ads, plant operations manuals, and expert testimony – to establish that Union Carbide’s corporate office controlled decisions at the Bhopal facility. The filmmakers also contend that these materials illustrate Union Carbide’s carelessness.

Historically, in First World communities, sewage treatment plants and other less desirable public services are usually located in poorer neighborhoods. The need for employment and level of political influence play a role in these placement decisions. Is globalization impacting the calculations made by international companies when they evaluate potential plant locations? The film claims the corporation experimented with riskier technology at the Bhopal plant than it did at its sister plant in West Virginia. Moreover, the documentary demonstrates that corporate decision makers applied a double standard when providing safety and community preparedness procedures.

The film also illustrates the weakness of current legal proceedings to address the behavior of multi-national corporations. In addition, this lengthy litigation struggle can be placed in the broader context of other prolonged efforts by victims of corporate negligence. For example, the Exxon Valdez oil spill has taken years to be resolved.

One fact Litigating Disaster fails to mention is that Union Carbide became a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow Chemical in 1999, which may have complicated and extended the litigation process.

Highly Recommended for academic and public libraries.