User Reviews

Warning: This Movie Review Contains Spoilers

The True Cost

Directed and Written By: Andrew Morgan

Stars: Stella McCartney, Livia Firth, Vandana Shiva, Safia Minney, Richard Wolff. Orsola De Castro, Rick Ridgeway, Tim Kasser, Tansy Hoskins, John Hilary, Guido Brera

An accurate honest view that is sadly appalling. Did not know the pain and suffering is ongoing and to that extent. The news rarely covers this issue and it appears every now and then as if it is an accident that is unexpected not ignored.

This movie is an eye-opener to a world that's so well hidden through wonderful advertising of glossy magazine and glamorous celebrities. It is so easy to turn a blind eye when it is not affecting us because we do not know we want to feel as if we are living the life regardless of what it does to anyone else.

Had we known it was to that extent and people in the sourcing business and these big brands and advertising agencies truly may not know? This is heavy on the heart because all of what is said in the movie is true. For example, When Livia Firth Eco-fashion activist, stated about us the consumers being taken for a ride with this fast fashion and we spend the money thinking we're rich because we buy a lot but we are becoming poorer. We earn that money to get those things for people we don't like it's funny how silly we take money and clothes for granted.

Seeing these people work under these harsh conditions and being beaten it is slavery because they have no other options and a lawsuit cannot be claimed because it is voluntary and these brands are not directly associated with these horrible factories.

A Fair trade company, 'People Tree' is another alternative solution to purchase affordable, Eco- friendly fashion that had workers work from a proper 9-5 not 7 till God knows when all day everyday for about 2 cents an hour it is ridiculous. We cannot complain these people hustle and stay humble and try to be happy with nothing and some of us say we're depressed and have everything.

This movie could have perhaps added more about brands that are involved in fair trade fashion and these unhealthy factories. Plus, telling us how to get involved in helping people in Bangladesh, Cambodia and China would have been sufficient. I love this movie's message about fashion with a conscious and that we should balance the divide because the people who make these clothes deserve better than this they must lead a life similar to ours; it is unfair.

Justice must happen and a movement must take place more stronger than this so this movie is a beautiful step towards a more enlightened future. This movie shed light on a hidden issue that is brutal behind a beautiful business. A bitter reality of how someone in power can treat people in a vulgar manner. This movie's initiative is incredible. Its brutal honesty about the fashion industry is fully appreciated. Andrew Morgan should make more and more documentaries

Prepare to be horrified and shamed at what is required for those of us in the West to wear what we wear. This eye-opening documentary shows every aspect of the fashion industry from the cotton crop to the landfills where all of our style ends up. We need more films like this to educate the public on the consequences of our rapacious consumerist lifestyle in the West.

After seeing the slave factories where much of our clothing is made the words "sweat shop" seem woefully inadequate to describe these horrible fixtures of modern capitalism.

What an absolutely appalling lack of empathy by those in this film defending the deplorable working conditions of many clothing industry workers. I just wish that we could make these creeps work for one month in one of these hell-holes. We literally fought in the streets in the last century to end that kind of exploitation of workers and the apologists in this film want us to simply accept this now as the inexorable march of globalism. The problem is that we will allow this same exploitation again in our own countries soon enough and we'll be right back in the middle ages again before you know it.

This is an interesting documentary on the garment/fashion industry that is destroying the planet and people's lives. The film juxtapositions western consumerism and third world conditions, but not so much to drive the point as a Michael Moore film. It appears instead of buying clothes that will last we buy throw away items. The result is environmentally bad. Interesting to find out is that we also send so much donated items to Haiti, that we have ruined their local garment industry.

The film also looks at farms, seeds, pesticides, and disease in the third world due to the garment industry. It pushes "Fair Trade" on us. Steven Colbert has replaced Noam Chomsky for commentary, for better or worse. The Stella McCartney train interview with shadows hiding an oddly tilted head should have been shot over. During the film a Bangladesh factory worker has supposed to visit London (?) and report back to the village about their customers. I expected that to be the climax of the film with her saying something poignant, but it never happened. Too much Stella McCartney.

This was a three star production on a five star message. Was this a commercial for "Fair Trade?"

Note to self: Jos. A. Banks is cheaper than paper towels.

True Cost is a honest, interesting and meaningful documentary about industry of clothing today and how simple everyday acts of greed and consumption can have devastating results in the lives of millions around the globe. Although it is not so much provoking, it is filmed by a certain distance but it makes direct comments for all the above subjects. In this film everything seems to be connected, from the fashion icons and clothing industry to the GMO cotton seeds made by one of the biggest profitable companies today and the terrible situations that labor workers face when they ask a raise of salary for their minimum and basic needs.

The end credits was a clever ad which let us watch the director himself shooting with his camera in some of the places he visited for filming this documentary. Also, when a certain song with title "I want it all" starts to play in the scene where we watch people running like maniacs to buy whatever they catch on a Black Friday Day in U.S.A, it is completely in tune with the scene and shocking, it hits us in our gut how can people be so blind and to seek happiness or social success in materialism and consumption of things. Truth to be told, in the century we live in, we are accustomed to be accepted from the society for our looks or our social and economical level. There is a reference in Martin Luther King J. in the film, saying that "What America needs is a revolution of values". But this is more than America, it is global, and documentary has a hopeful message at the end, proposing that this situation might change in some years maybe and people start to think of other people and not of profits and money. As much as I doubt this assumption, it is of high importance that more films being made like this one, from respectable people that care enough to spread the truth all over the world, for people to see and realize what is the true imperative of humanity and human nature.

In this examination of the clothing industry, director Andrew Morgan says that he knew nothing about the industry before embarking on making the movie. Maybe he offers that fact in support of initial objectivity to justify presenting an accumulation of damning evidence showing objectionable conduct in all components of the industry.

In 2013 the spotlight was placed on the apparel industry in the aftermath of the of the Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh where over 1000 workers died. The apparel industry was on the hot-seat after Rana Plaza and I wish there would have been discussion in this movie about how the brands using that building reacted to the event.

A case is made that most of the evils of the industry are propagated by the desire to reduce the price point of all products, and this permeates all facets of the industry--all the way from cotton production, pesticide use, improper waste disposal, pollution of soil and rivers, factory conditions bordering on slave labor, and potential health issues.

Cheap labor is seen as the driving force behind the fact that most all apparel manufacturing is now done in poorer countries. In 1950 over 95% of clothing sold in the United States was produced in the United States. Today that figure is 3%.

It's hard to see how to break the vicious cycle of downward pressure on price--if a factory does not knuckle under to price demands, the companies blackmail them by saying that they will just go to a country that can meet their demands. Some of the industry executives in third world countries interviewed here say that having apparel factories in their country is a boon to them in that they offer some employment for people who would otherwise likely have no employment. The downside of capitalism is much on display here.

Some statistics stood out for me: the average western consumer throws away 85 pounds of clothing a year (amounting to 11 million tons a year in the U.S.) and only about 10% of these are recycled. This means that much of this clothing winds up in mountains of waste that take years to biodegrade. And, yes, these mountains of waste mostly wind up in poorer countries. No mention is made of the environmental toll taken to ship clothes, both new and used, all over the world.

Some relief from the downbeat tone is given by giving a nod to the few companies that are trying to buck the trend, like a Texas cotton farm producing organic cotton and some fair trade companies like People Tree. These small efforts offer the only optimism presented in the movie.

Not all change needs to come from the industry, since consumers bear some responsibility. A more judicious approach to buying clothes is called for--the "wear once and toss" use is a part of the problem. Apparel consumption is up over 400% in the last couple of decades. Consumers are urged to cut back on their purchases and to recycle rather than toss. But, as evidence of how complicated it is to improve the situation, a cutback in consumer spending could ultimately make things worse by closing factories, resulting in more unemployed and more downward pressure on price.

As long as consumers seek the lowest prices, and you can't blame them, this situation will continue until movies like this, and other educational efforts, provoke a consumer backlash against the main offenders. Another tipping point toward industry correction, beyond consumer awareness, could come when the collateral environmental damage reaches such crisis proportions that there is a citizen rebellion.

Little mention is made of specific brands and their practices, perhaps for fear of legal actions. I wanted to know specifics. There were a couple of images of Levi's stores, implying guilt by association with the overarching negativity. I noticed that director Morgan was wearing a pair of Levi's. And Levi's was not operating out of Rana Plaza and I think they are more concerned about corporate responsibility than most brands. Knowing which brands are the best and which are the worst would at least provide some guidance for people to gravitate to the better brands. You would think that above all Nike would have been mentioned.

It would be interesting to examine the true cost of almost any industry--the oil and gas industry is an obvious choice. Tracing the true cost of any manufactured good would be enlightening, like what it takes to manufacture a car, what it takes to support that car once it is on the road, and what happens when it has reached the end of its useful life. Or cell phones, or ...

It's hard to leave this movie in a positive frame of mind.

This movie shows the direct impact people can have on people and the environment. It is terrifying that we are allowing such decay of the human body and environment at the expense of a t-shirt or pair of pants. The side effects of the factory works from living in the surrounding factory area's was eye-opening. I have heard about it and seen pictures, but knowing that this film was released just two years ago, very recently, is astounding. I think the film does a very good job of exploring the whole chain from top to bottom, from the VP of sustainability at H&M and Patagonia to the factory workers in India. I am amazed at some of the people trying to make a difference, but the need for support on a larger scale is what is needed and it will take time, but this documentary is very inspiring and progressive. A step in the right direction for healthier people and a healthier planet.

"The True Cost" is a documentary that has definitely left an impact on my views on the world of fast fashion. The director, Andrew Morgan and producer, Michael Ross bring light to the devastation and inhumane practices that are a result of our selfish shopping practices. The documentary follows a mother who is a garment worker, and her son who are both located in Bangladesh, as she takes us through her everday life and uncovers the terrible working conditions she endures everyday in hopes that her son will some day live in better conditions than what they currently were in. It later covers the Rana Plaza disaster that left over thousands dead and included actual footage from the day of the disaster. I appreciated the raw footage that was included because it showed the severity of the disaster and how many lives were lost because of the irresponsible and unsafe conditions of that factory.

After seeing the terrible conditions that these workers endure, I find it hard to go back to shopping with fast fashion brands without feeling extremely guilty. It's hard to justify supporting modern capitalism when others who are less fortunate are doing worse off for our benefit.

Not only does the documentary cover the conditions of working in a sweat shop, but Morgan and Ross also make sure to take account of the environmental repercussions that we as a society will endure as a result of fast fashion. The water ways we are polluting, the pesticides and chemicals that we are emitting into our air ways, the piles of clothing landfill we are creating, it's hard to not want to implement change into your lifestyle and everyday being after watching this documentary.

Learning about how pesticides and the cotton industry is also contributing to world wide pollution, especially when cotton is deemed as an "organic" and "clean" resource was so eye opening. It is so surprising to learn that many things deemed good and safe for our environment are actually harming our ecosystems and water ways.

It was very disheartening and almost angering learning about how such well known brands and companies are completely taking advantage of people in third world and developing countries who desperately need a job. It made me feel so differently towards big name companies that claim to be treating their workers ethically and humane, when in reality they're not.

Overall I really appreciate how this movie is not shoving a certain lifestyle in your face, begging you to change your ways and telling you how terrible of a person you are for buying retail. It does a great job at sharing these workers' stories and amplifying their voices, while also visiting locations closer to home and explaining how we ourselves can make a difference. I learned a lot about consumerism and how more recent generations have turned shopping into a hobby rather than going out of necessity. This documentar has definitely opened my eyes and has made it very difficult to go back to the hyper-consumerism I was used to taking part of.

Nice expose of the global fashion industry, from a clearly biased and non-objective source. The whole movie is permeated with anti-capitalist rhetoric and indictments of the profit motive, materialism, and American companies. At 1:15 when the "economist" comes on, I knew we were in for a snow-job of epic proportions. He talks down to the audience like he's teaching the theory of socialism to kindergarteners for the first time. The film, ironically also focuses on how the local Indo-Chinese factory unions keep getting crushed. Instead of campaigning for stronger unions and police protection of the union reps, they film backs the message that the solution is to try and guarantee a "living wage" to factory workers. Yeah, that's what the whole union protest was about, a hallmark of capitalism that is being crushed by the local governments.

Thanks, Karl Marx, I just wanted to see a movie about the fashion industry, not a 90 minute propaganda film telling me how evil I am for buying a t-shirt. The authors are using the suffering of those innocent people to advance their distorted perspective, they are no better than the factory owners.