THE CHINA HUSTLE REVIEWED
“The China Hustle” is a documentary that is deep in my wheelhouse. Director Jed Rothstein does his best Errol Morris, as he leans back and lets interviews the biggest American stock market players and experts. Specifically, he’s targeting the people who have covered the system since the 2008 bubble. As regulations changed, Chinese scammers infiltrated more foreign markets to defraud consumers. First, Rothstein breaks down a ton of economic terms to help explain this world to the casual viewer.
Some negative coverage has tried to sell this documentary as a slam against the emerging Chinese economy. Well, it isn’t. The film shows how China’s complete lack of regulation or acknowledgment of the global economy is setting up another bubble. It’s not that hard for China to sail past certain economic milestones if they’re playing on an unfair playing field. That’s what an hour of the documentary is trying to tell you.
So, what next? Documentary journalism does what it can against systems designed to insulate the offenders and protect their practice. However, all of this malfeasance dies in the light. Constantly investigate and target people and systems that keep undermining your country’s ability to prosper financially. After all, a good revolution starts with the people rather than a government.
FILM STATS
- 1 hr and 22 mins
- Not Rated
- Magnolia
