This documentary is a significant step forward from his previous work "Born Rich", which was interesting but one was left thinking that Jamie was either intentionally missing the point or simply had yet to mature. This work reveals that he has matured, and as a result, this documentary is significant and should not be missed. Wealth is an increasingly divisive subject in this country, both literally and as a subject of philosophical debate, and this documentary illuminates that crevasse. And of course, it couldn't be more timely.
The film has two essential narratives. One is the personal journey of the director, Jamie Johnson, heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune, as he struggles to understand his position in the American class system and what it will ultimately mean for his personal humanity. The second narrative emerges as he pans back that personal lens to examine the effects of class-ism on American society at large from his perspective as a member of the top tier.
At first, one might be tempted to classify this documentary under the same heading as Undercover Boss, since it involves a member of the elite deigning to consider the condition of the rest of society during a time when the majority of Americans are growing increasingly angry with the antics of the wealthy. This kind of self-effacing existentialism by the rich in a such public fashion is a very old tradition usually employed to distance themselves from populist anger. For that reason, it is important to view this documentary (and any other like it) with a cautious eye.
That said, as you follow Jamie's personal narrative, it is hard to miss the fear and anger he seems to be struggling to conceal. Fear not of the masses, but rather of his peers -- including some very powerful people -- who undoubtedly are mightily displeased with the way that they appear in this documentary. Unlike Born Rich where he was merely a gadfly in the ointment of frivolous young heirs, in this documentary he has thrown down the gauntlet before giants of industry and politics, challenging them to defend their hubris to the public during a time when that public has no patience for it. His anger seems to stem from the feeling that his challenges are neither welcome nor necessary.
Where he was flirting with questions of class in Born Rich, he takes a definite side on the issue in The One Percent, and that kind of side-taking is not without consequence for him which makes this documentary a legitimate work of social importance rather than a mere self-indulgent curiosity. While Jamie might be embraced ephemerally by the entertainment industry and certain cultural circles for this documentary, he will never again be trusted by the truly wealthy and powerful people that his social position allowed him to interview in the first place.
As a result, this will likely be the last of this kind of documentary he produces, and from this point on he will occupy a rather lonely place in society -- neither part of the masses he defends, nor the truly powerful elite that he critiques -- and that makes the personal narrative of The One Percent poignant. One wonders if, thirty years hence, Jamie will be a quietly anxious man like his father, or if he will emerge from this path as an important voice on his own merit.
The larger narrative of The One Percent plays much like a more elegant version of Michael Moore's "Capitalism". While he reveals little about the question of class that is new, the astonishing arrogance and entitlement expressed by the subjects he interviews makes this aspect of the film compelling. Their unguarded commentary -- no doubt a result of feeling comfortable in the presence of another rich person -- is a damning blow to the arguments propounded by Milton Friedman (who he also interviews) that unfettered selfishness creates a better society. It is deeply difficult to watch the wealthy men he speaks with convey such little concern for their impact on society and responsibility to it.
Overall, this documentary is well worth watching and Jamie Johnson displays a great deal of courage in creating it. Ultimately, this documentary is not so much communicating to the masses (for all his earnestness, Jamie is still not very good at that), but rather he seems to be speaking to his own class in the hopes that they will take up the challenge he issues to use their wealth to improve the society to which they owe their existence. For this reason, he is -- either ironically or perhaps intentionally -- the best argument against the populist idea that wealth always breeds evil, and though that is not an argument many in the majority are in the mood to entertain right now, it is heartening to know that he exists and one hopes that his challenge is heard and accepted.
The film has two essential narratives. One is the personal journey of the director, Jamie Johnson, heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune, as he struggles to understand his position in the American class system and what it will ultimately mean for his personal humanity. The second narrative emerges as he pans back that personal lens to examine the effects of class-ism on American society at large from his perspective as a member of the top tier.
At first, one might be tempted to classify this documentary under the same heading as Undercover Boss, since it involves a member of the elite deigning to consider the condition of the rest of society during a time when the majority of Americans are growing increasingly angry with the antics of the wealthy. This kind of self-effacing existentialism by the rich in a such public fashion is a very old tradition usually employed to distance themselves from populist anger. For that reason, it is important to view this documentary (and any other like it) with a cautious eye.
That said, as you follow Jamie's personal narrative, it is hard to miss the fear and anger he seems to be struggling to conceal. Fear not of the masses, but rather of his peers -- including some very powerful people -- who undoubtedly are mightily displeased with the way that they appear in this documentary. Unlike Born Rich where he was merely a gadfly in the ointment of frivolous young heirs, in this documentary he has thrown down the gauntlet before giants of industry and politics, challenging them to defend their hubris to the public during a time when that public has no patience for it. His anger seems to stem from the feeling that his challenges are neither welcome nor necessary.
Where he was flirting with questions of class in Born Rich, he takes a definite side on the issue in The One Percent, and that kind of side-taking is not without consequence for him which makes this documentary a legitimate work of social importance rather than a mere self-indulgent curiosity. While Jamie might be embraced ephemerally by the entertainment industry and certain cultural circles for this documentary, he will never again be trusted by the truly wealthy and powerful people that his social position allowed him to interview in the first place.
As a result, this will likely be the last of this kind of documentary he produces, and from this point on he will occupy a rather lonely place in society -- neither part of the masses he defends, nor the truly powerful elite that he critiques -- and that makes the personal narrative of The One Percent poignant. One wonders if, thirty years hence, Jamie will be a quietly anxious man like his father, or if he will emerge from this path as an important voice on his own merit.
The larger narrative of The One Percent plays much like a more elegant version of Michael Moore's "Capitalism". While he reveals little about the question of class that is new, the astonishing arrogance and entitlement expressed by the subjects he interviews makes this aspect of the film compelling. Their unguarded commentary -- no doubt a result of feeling comfortable in the presence of another rich person -- is a damning blow to the arguments propounded by Milton Friedman (who he also interviews) that unfettered selfishness creates a better society. It is deeply difficult to watch the wealthy men he speaks with convey such little concern for their impact on society and responsibility to it.
Overall, this documentary is well worth watching and Jamie Johnson displays a great deal of courage in creating it. Ultimately, this documentary is not so much communicating to the masses (for all his earnestness, Jamie is still not very good at that), but rather he seems to be speaking to his own class in the hopes that they will take up the challenge he issues to use their wealth to improve the society to which they owe their existence. For this reason, he is -- either ironically or perhaps intentionally -- the best argument against the populist idea that wealth always breeds evil, and though that is not an argument many in the majority are in the mood to entertain right now, it is heartening to know that he exists and one hopes that his challenge is heard and accepted.