"Profit, Nothing But" a Raoul Peck movie
By Hyppolite Pierre
Appealing to both our rational and emotional sides, Raoul Peck began this critical project by posting on the screen the image of a beach in Port-à-Piment, a coastal city in the South of Haiti. The words used in each segment by what we call in cinematography, the voice-over" are powerful and sometimes intriguing in their poetic use. The movie tends to be critical of capitalism, but does not necessarily reject market economy as a viable economic system. Instead it purports itself as an observatory, pointing out some serious flaws that negatively impact humanity as a whole.
Some may view in earlier segments of this movie, the barely concealed comparison between feudalism and capitalism as strongly influenced by Marxist thoughts. However, the movie is not an overall indictment of the capitalist system.
In many of the scenes, economists and other experts mostly from France and Haiti, share their views and at times skepticism about capitalism as it functions to date. Their analyses are mostly viable when they question the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) mentality of dismissing hundreds and even thousands of employees, with the consent of their Board Members, as they increase their individual salary or benefits by millions of dollars.
It is that level of greed that is perhaps to date, one of the most controversial aspects of the capitalist economic system. The lines in this movie question the validity of such greed from an either moral or ethical standpoint. This is especially true as real people, after having dedicated years of their lives sweating for a company, and are oftentimes their family's breadwinner, suddenly lose even their sense of worthiness because profit has slumped and therefore, their economic value to a company becomes either insignificant or nonexistent.
Perhaps the best marker on this issue was when one economist questioned the moral decision of a hypothetical wealthy individual whose total portfolio has already reached the 2.2 billion mark, but will still create a social, environmental, or economic imbalance just to increase his wealth by a mere 100 million to 2.3 billion dollars. What sense does it make, seems to be the question.
"Profit, Nothing But", an equation
This is when the term "Profit, Nothing But" makes the best sense. Raoul Peck projects on the screen this equation to explain his rationale. In the beginning, the product or merchandise was at the center of human activity. It was first the merchandise that was bartered. As money became the most pragmatic commodity, you then had this equation: Merchandise ― Money ― Merchandise. Thus, Money was only a means to obtain Merchandise and to purchase new ones. Eventually however, money became the ultimate goal. Merchandise became simply a pretext to amass more wealth. Thus, the equation changed to become: Money ― Merchandise ― Money. All transactions from that point on, became nothing but a pretext for others to accumulate more wealth, more money.
Making a profit has become such an imperative force, that wealthy and even decent capital holders will put their moral value on the side to accumulate more wealth. In that context, the image that Peck offers in the movie, of Dictator François Duvalier shaking hands at the National Palace in Haiti with the ultimate American capitalist, Rockefeller, becomes significant. François Duvalier's distribution of one billet of gourde to poor Haitians just to assure their fidelity is an extremely embarrassing sight to anyone from that country, watching it with an international audience.
"Similarity in Contrasts, and Contrasts"
What is also fascinating in that movie, is the compare-contrast visual game played by Raoul to show the poverty in the city of Port-à-Piment Haiti, and the orderly presence of European and American cities with their well-groomed population and also their destitute. The wide highways that are packed with cars and signs to indicate at which point of a city or a State one is in, are a poignant contrast to a road in Port-à-Piment where a poor young man is taking on ropes a small army of goats probably destined to the market place or the slaughter-house. Yet, in interviews with both these poor and middle-class Haitians, and middle-class and poor whites and blacks in the developed world, the question of existential value remains the same. Are we all there for profit, or to live? Should money define our lives, or should it be something else?
The Darwinism in capitalism seems to be the scariest part of that system for Raoul Peck. It is that "survival of the fittest" that terrifies him, or so it seems. There is little romanticism of the poor but yet, the accusations and comparison (although brief) between capitalism and feudalism is probably unfair.
The matter of quality of life becomes thus an essential point that Raoul Peck seems to be driving home. There is a search for an alternative, a third way, apparently so far from the horizon. Peck makes it quite clear in this 52-minutes masterpiece, that for someone or even a country to exist in this new world where capitalism is the new king, it has to be profit-focused and profit-creator. It is in this context that he continuously repeats "Haiti is a country that doesn't exist".
Haiti indeed does not exist, if one follows his logic: the United States, Germany, France, or even Chile certainly do. If one goes to the furthest corner of Sierra Leone, or Namibia, or the Central African Republic and say that he or she is German, or American, the people there have a point of reference. They know of German, or American products and of their society and wealth. But if one goes to Singapore, or Kuala Lumpur and talks of Haiti, very few will know of such a place. Even in the United States of America, it is difficult for most to even pinpoint Haiti on a world map. The reason is simple: Haiti does not exist in the capitalist market as a viable entity. So we all are children of that profit-focused logic.
Alternatives?
Perhaps by the end, Raoul offers some glimpse of hope as he seems to focus more and more on resolution rather than simply exposing ills and weaknesses in capitalism. Nevertheless, the picture does not offer much hope for a better economic system. Still, the solutions are within the framework of his exposé. The matter of profit-for-profit is perhaps the most controversial point focused on, since economic growth cannot take place unless there is a focus on profit in the market place.
The human element as a determinant in any economic equation, especially capitalism, is probably the most convincing argument in the movie. The natural richness of Port-à-Piment with its imposing beaches and smiling people, the abstract and not so abstract points made by the talking-heads economists and others in the movie make it a wonderful experience to a curious mind. Raoul's poetic voice adds to the value of this movie. It is a movie that should also be viewed at least twice if one really desires to master its depth.
"Profit, Nothing but" is an enriching experience and should be seen by economists as well as curious minds, even just for the images. Life, not profit, as the centerpiece of human existence, is clearly an essential in Raoul's philosophy. This is truly another classic of Raoul Peck, after his movie "Lumumba".
