You've Been Trumped (2011) User Reviews

A Brilliantly Made, Emotionally Potent Documentary

[Al_Scarface_Capone · 7/10 · 3 August 2011]

You've Been Trumped is a movie that, hopefully will go down in history as one of the great environmental documentaries, alongside Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. manages to not only be an upsetting, interesting, and engaging documentary, made by a first time film maker, but a brilliantly made film as well. Not to mention the fact that it is often laugh out loud funny and features a sound track to rival many Tarantino films.

The greatest accomplishment of You've Been Trumped, however, is that it is pretty much guaranteed to make you hate Donald Trump even more than you already do. It paints him as more than just a profiteering industrialist looking to make a quick buck at the expense of the environment. It also manages to include moments of his blatantly lying to reporters, as well as a subtle moment of him totally objectifying women for the sake of money. It should say something that this little documentary that has only been to a couple film festivals so far has provoked a huge reaction from Trump himself. He has made statements calling the film makers frauds and refusing to see the film because its "boring".

The basic story of You've Been Trumped is that Donald Trump set out to build "The World's Greatest Golf Course" and picked out as the location a Scottish beach. The thing is that this particular beach has sand dunes that are essentially the British equivalent of a National Monument. Despite this, he was given government approval to destroy the dunes. At this point, he thought he had won. The British and Scottish governments had given him carte blanche. The one thing he hadn't counted on was the resistance of a few local farmers, who's families had owned their land for generations, against the development. The film charts their fight to protect their land from essentially being bulldozed by Trump.

The film is brilliant not just for the way it charts the destruction that Trump does, both against the environment, and against the people, but because it is so well made. For one thing it looks gorgeous. Of course part of that comes naturally when you are shooting in some of the most gorgeous country on earth, but considering the budget and experience of those involved, its amazing how good You've Been Trumped looks. Even other than in the cinematography, the film is very well made. Even during the slower moments in terms of the plot, the film always feels interesting thanks to the great direction and editing.

You've Been Trumped is one of the best documentaries in years, and hopefully it will go on to win further recognition. It has only been to a few film festivals so far, but it has already won a few awards. It is emotionally potent, as well as being politically strong enough to inspire people to action. It is put together better than documentaries with twice the budget. Hopefully it will go on to have a great run and make enough of a splash to do some serious damage to Trump's Monopoly.

Emotional Yet Caustic Documentary Making

[Waerdnotte · 7/10 · 22 October 2012]

Not being a great fan of the documentary feature I was rather ambivalent about this David and Goliath tale. However, after its screening at the Shetland Film Festival UK film critic Mark Kermode recommended it partly as righteous exposition of the power of money over local communities and also as a real life twist on the Local Hero (1983) story - a feelgood film from Scottish film maker Bill Forsyth. Clips of Forsyth's movie are included in You've Been Trumped to underpin the message and Forsyth watched the film at the Shetland Film Festival giving his full support to the documentary maker, Anthony Baxter.

What we get is a film that not only angered me because of the insidious support of the UK and Scottish governments for this outrageous project but the bullying and illegal activities of the local policeforce, who should be charged with assault, illegal arrest and detention of the film maker. We are aware of the arrogance, lying and bullying of Trump who uses his money to get what ever he wants with impunity, but for the small people - the local constabulary, to be in on this is beyond reproach.

The treatment of the local farmers and residents by Trump is astoundingly arrogant and without precedent. This is a foreign national riding roughshod over a local community, with the support of local, and national governments, and it is the colour of his money and promise of jobs that it was clear wouldn't appear that sold it to the politicians.

Baxter's film making is quietly confident as he shows us Trump's lies and his vitriol towards the local people. Trump treats Baxter, as he does the local people, with contempt, yet Baxter shows the local residents as people, initially confused by what's happening to their homes, evolving into a mutually supportive network.

Baxter's ending evokes moments from Forsyth's film, and reminds us that perhaps there will be a happy ending. It would be nice to think that a film as powerful as this can make a difference, but I feel that unfortunately there are many Americans like Trump who see the UK as just another country to be colonised by their big money regardless of the wishes of local communities.

Enlightening & well worth a look...

[cat_ranchero · 8/10 · 27 October 2012]

Donald Trump is an internationally famed entrepreneur who is also a very successful businessman. His vast business empire has made him a billionaire in his native United States and he wants to build a golf resort. He wants to build it on a site of special scientific interest on the Aberdeenshire coast (Scotland). This documentary plots his total disregard for the environment and the local residents in his efforts to achieve his goal. He is not alone in this; despite the local council turning down planning permission on environmental grounds the Scottish Parliament overturned the decision. Trumps claims that what he's doing will preserve this fragile environment appear (at best) misled as we see the systematic destruction of the dunes and the harassment of local residents.

All this is seen primarily through the eyes of the few local residents that border the resort. He even uses the police to harass the team making this documentary. There is also testimony from environmental groups and even an economist; all indicating that this is a bad thing. It all seems very unbalanced until the end where we learn that neither Trump nor his representatives, the Grampian Police or the Scottish Government wanted to contribute to this film.

I love the way its shot with hand-held cameras and even amateur footage from one of the residents slipped in. There is also some vintage film showing how life was on the coast in days gone by and quite a lot of news footage. The biggest triumph for me though was the use of footage from Bill Forsythe's film 'Local Hero'. Anthony Baxter cleverly draws parallels between the (fictitious) situation in the film and the situation facing the residents around the site. A real eye-opener into how big business is conducted these days and it's not pretty. Mr Trump does not come out of this well and, on the evidence shown, deservedly so.

SteelMonster's verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

My score: 8.4/10

You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.

Spineless Salmond

[highwaysixty4 · 10/10 · 26 October 2012]

A significant supporting actor in this farce is never seen on camera nor ever quoted directly. It was Alex Salmond (The Gutless One) who surrendered the land to the foreigners and tasked uniformed thugs from Grampian Police to enforce the usurpation.

Whilst tub-thumping his epistle for Scottish independence he dropped his drawers for Trump. This documentary not only tells the tale of the triumph of dollars over decency, but also gives the lie to the SNP's assertion that they can keep Scotland self-governing in the event of the rest of Britain gaining independence from Salmond and his ilk.

A must see for anyone concerned with the individual's fight against pernicious politicians and big business.

A film that must be watched

[mredwards89 · 10/10 · 21 October 2012]

How does a golf development that is both deeply opposed by many and flawed by a business plan filled with wild guesses get built? Bullying, power, deception and lies.

This documentary highlights all that is wrong with Donald Trump when greed, wealth and power supersedes the opinion and will of the local people. It is astonishing to see the appalling behaviour of Mr Trump, the Scottish Government (P.S. After watching this, if you're Scottish, you may decide to never vote SNP again) and the Grampian Police force.

This real life story is immensely heartening and portrays the very real human emotion and struggle of the local residents involved whilst also exposing the extreme bias towards Mr Trump's development by the authorities.

This documentary should be compulsory watching for planning authorities, politicians, anyone with an interest in preserving our natural landscapes, students going into the construction industry (to appreciate the gigantic mistakes of Mr Trump and ensuring they are not repeated in the future), law enforcement authorities (to appreciate that there are more sides to a story than one and to listen and think before taking action) and all those who seek a strong cause to back.

I do hope this film receives the credit it so deserves by some award or another. Spectacular journalism can be found aplenty and the courage by them and others is commendable.

The residents are true local heroes in this quite literal David and Goliath story. This is a film that evokes all emotions from sadness and anger (at Mr Trump and the Scottish Government) to happiness and joy at seeing the human spirit in people banding together.

Please watch this documentary. I won't go into the details of it as it would takeaway from the raw feelings you'll feel when watching.

Incredible story - Not to be missed!

[foxrose · 15 November 2011]

This is an incredible story of how an egomaniac scumbag trampled all over people who had no way to fight back.

What's worse, he was actively aided and abetted by the entire Scottish government, from the local politicians and local police all the way to the highest levels who knew full well that Trump was cheating and stealing over and over.

Both he and the Scottish Government officials are sickening.

NO lawyer stepped forward,NO politician had any attack of conscience, NO ONE of any influence at all stepped forward to help.

Everyone was bought and paid for. You should not miss this movie.

Inspired me!

[groovingfungus · 10/10 · 17 March 2013]

What can I say, this film blew me away and inspired me to write to Trump's secretary the Chief Constable of Grampian Police force and my first review on IMDb.

From the title we know the story and the film is efficiently executed. Shot on hand-held and using residents footage with some clips of Local Hero. As a subject it is fairly easy to portray Trump as an evil man.

However the film excels at capturing how the system designed to protect places and people can be corrupted. It explores the cult of personality and the immense power of business. The blatant corruption of state government, the developers, lawyers, educational institutions, local politicians and ultimately, providing the centerpiece of the film, the police. Like Trump, none of the antagonists make any attempt to hide that they have been completely debased by celebrity, money and power.

The film contrasts this with the almost gentle stoicism of the residents in the face of what is in reality a helpless situation. Through their eyes we see the destruction, bullying and land grabs. They stand in contrast to the aberrant forces in front of them. For me what is most shocking is that this takes place in Scotland, not China.

I would like to have seen more counter argument, the upside of development and the jobs the completed golf course will provide. Ultimately though it is the local authorities that damn themselves, in their actions instead of their words.

A very powerful piece of film-making I hope it reaches a wide audience.

If Trump were a country we'd all be concerned by his empire-building

[marathon_man · 10/10 · 21 October 2012]

I've been following developments on this blight on the landscape from the beginning. Scotland has more than enough golf courses and not one of them is more beautiful than the natural landscape it replaces. Scotland may be the home of golf but that doesn't mean it should be covered in courses.

Trump cares only about money (hey, he's a hugely successful businessman) and has no concept of other people's right to feel differently from himself. His comments about the residents, in particular his vitriolic description of Michael Forbes and his property (which looks no more an eyesore than any working farmland) are vile and despicable. The man is so out of touch with what Scotland wants and is so ignorant about the country that he actually thinks his course will be on the west coast! If he had his way though, it would probably stretch between both coasts.

It's always quite sickening to see sycophantic pandering to guests on chat shows at the best of times, but to witness David Letterman's fawning and ignorance (no doubt down to zero research and not wanting to risk the sensitive Mr Trump - after all, he could be a future President!) was cringe-worthy.

Michael Forbes comes across as a decent, down-to-earth individual, not the near-Neanderthal Trump would have you believe him to be. In fact, he is clearly quite eloquent for a "simple" out-of-towner.

To lose such a unique and significant Site of Scientific Interest all to help line the pockets of Trump is shameful in the extreme, and the Scottish Government should hang it's head for bowing to this megalomaniac of the business world. They also appear to have highly influenced the Police handling of the situation. I'm not one to shout "Police state" or "1984" but it's hard not to feel Grampian Police are failing in their remit to protect the public's interests.

It's already an emotive issue but the documentary was very moving and had me switching from anger to disbelief and not so very far from tears, partly due to my love of Scotland and also to the human spirit on show in defiance of Trump's continued empire building.

This is a must see!

[aba139 · 10/10 · 10 December 2012]

This film is a documentary about how predatory capitalism stile, with the help of the government, effects people, environment and science.

The best thing you can do to the wonderful profession of film making is: watch this film and give human decency, integrity, bravery, skill and modesty a chance to catch you.

It's a great film. Every minute watching worth while. But don't keep the experience and your thoughts about it to yourself.

We need to stop to give our attention and listening to people like Trump and this film made me realize that it is very important to shift what we have: attention, time, money and action to what we want more of.

A study in hypocrisy with regard to "green" industrial wind turbines

[AJ4F · 5/10 · 23 May 2019]

I'm no fan of Donald Trump, but this golf course saga highlights the hypocrisy of modern environmentalism when it comes to industrial wind turbines vs. natural settings. With over 340,000 on the planet, they've become the biggest form of energy sprawl ever built, and present a growing threat to birds, bats and human well-being.

You'd think that people concerned with preserving sand dunes would also object to towering "clean energy" projects that occupy vast areas of land and ocean, necessitating many new roads for the former, and causing light pollution all night. One of the promos for this film shows Trump standing in front of a wind turbine, as if it's a symbol of environmental progress. He's a gift to those who want to portray desecrated landscapes as "beautiful" merely because they're opposed by someone with otherwise poor eco-credentials.

Do an image search for "Aberdeenshire wind farm Trump" and ask yourself how environmentalism got to this point. Scotland in particular is overrun with wind eyesores to the point that you can see them from 60% of Scottish locations, per the John Muiir Trust. When watching this film, if you claim to be an environmentalist, always keep that in mind.

The side of power

[paul2001sw-1 · 9/10 · 23 October 2012]

'You've been Trumped' tells a true story that should make everyone very angry indeed. Donald Trump proposes building a new golf course in Scotland; the potentially lucrative nature of the deal lies in getting planning permission to build where otherwise would not be allowed. He duly gets permission, and it's hard to avoid concluding that the man's ego, reputation and bombast are actually his company's key assets: that he can get the opportunity to cash in on the change of use when a better (but less well promoted) proposal would have been automatically rejected (in fact, Trump's proposal only got through after the Scottish government specifically intervened to over-rule the local planners). But let's assume the development is economically justified. We still live under the rule of law; and it's natural to hope that the police would be on the side of the little guy threatened by the force of overwhelming money. But not a bit of it: we see how, when Trump disputes his boundary with a neighbour, the police come to protect not only Trump's property, but also his freedom to damage his neighbours'; while the film-maker gets himself arrested for doing nothing illegal but simply for documenting this unequal fight. That the authorities refuse to appear in the film to justify their actions makes the point eloquently. It's sad (in my opinion) that the beautiful dunes at Balmedie have been destroyed; but even more alarming for the side government is ultimately on to be so starkly revealed.

Scathing Indictment of Trump & His Tactics

[larrys3 · 9/10 · 28 June 2013]

This documentary, directed by Anthony Baxter, is a scathing indictment of Donald Trump and his organization's tactics. It's a modern day David vs. Goliath tale. as it follows the attempts by Trump to build a $1 billion project, consisting of a luxury hotel and two golf courses along the coastline of Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

The land there is particularly environmentally sensitive, with one of the last bastions of natural sand dunes in the British Isles, as well as the home to various wildlife. He meets the opposition of a number of long time residents of the area who refuse to sell their land for the project.

A local politician, Martin Ford, leads a committee of the local council, which rejects the Trump project. However, for apparently the first time in history, the central Scottish Government, pulls the approval process from local hands and gives it a green light. Additionally, it may issue Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPO's) vs. those residents who refuse to sell, similar to our eminent domain.

Once construction started, the documentary illustrates the abominable tactics used by the Trump Organization against the Scottish holdouts. These include harassment, intimidation, personal verbal assaults by Trump against Michael Forbes, one of the landowners, breaking a water well which left Forbes' without water for at least a week, etc. etc.

When the filmmaker, Anthony Baxter, tried to confront one of the Trump site managers regarding the water situation, he was not only rudely dismissed but later arrested by the local police and held for four hours. Another local resident, David Milne, had a fence arbitrarily torn down by the Trump minions, with the claim that their maps said it was on property they had purchased. They also had the gall to later bill Milne over 2800 pounds to erect a new fence.

As opposition to Trump's hotel and golf courses grew, there was talk of erecting a large wind farm right off the coastline. I saw that in March of this year, the wind farm was approved by the Scottish government, leading Trump to threaten to sue in court and abandon the project, as he felt the view of the hotel guests would be ruined.

All in all, I thought the film was a little slow-paced and some of the Scottish "accents" were sometimes difficult to understand, but the scope of the movie greatly outweighed everything else. Personally, I felt my "blood boil" at some of the tactics used on these homeowners. If one feels the film is too one-sided, Trump was given numerous chances to give his side of the story but ignored all requests for over a year.

So a man's legacy is greater than the environment and "normal" people's lives

[gregsy21 · 10/10 · 3 September 2013]

I have lived in Aberdeenshire all my life. My father and mother have both lived in Aberdeenshire all their lives as well as at least my previous 4 generations as that is as far back as my parents have traced. I remember going to those sand dunes many times when i was younger and i might have actually been living very close to the course if my parents hadn't opted to move to a different house in Aberdeenshire. When plans to build the course came about i didn't know who Donald Trump was very well and all i heard about it was a few newspaper headlines which said it would bring jobs so i thought " that is fine if they want to build it, i haven't been to the dunes in the last couple of years". However, i recently watched this documentary in geography at school. It opened my eyes to so many things such as : how the police can be biased, how little the "big" people care about the "small" people and how bad an effect it has had on the environment. I also found it hard to believe anyone in their right mind could actually mean what Trump says. There is not a doubt in my mind that the course should not have been built. I found it extremely hard to give my favourite movie "The Shawshank Redemption" 10 stars but this, my new favourite film, easily warranted a 10 star rating. You must watch it.

Scotland for sale!

[neil-arsenal · 9/10 · 13 November 2012]

After watching this last night, I have to say that I honestly could not believe what I was seeing.

Mr Trump and his sycophantic cohorts manage, it seems, to buy the local police force and government departments.

There seems no other explanation for the goings on in this film.

Trump has an ego. Just by chance I caught an old fight on TV recently (Tyson vs Spinks) and it took place at 'Trump Tower'. The crowd were told that 'two legends' are going to be introduced before the fight. First up, Mohammed Ali. Fair enough. Next...Donald Trump. The MC then gives an incredibly fawning speech on his behalf.

Trump's ego is that bad.

The film itself is not brilliantly made and the production values are below average, but for an insight into what real wealth can achieve (not in a good way), you won't find many better examples.

It does seem to 'end' a bit abruptly and could have done with another half hour to update us on what's happened since.

Still, a very good doc and one I heartily recommend.

A documentary well done

[nstobor55 · 8/10 · 26 April 2014]

If you are going to do a documentary, this is a great one to use as a template. It was very informative and really gave accurate and insightful information. It was creative and showed heart. It gave the audience a satisfaction, even though it was not known what the result was. First of all, using personal stories was the key. This gave the audience something to root for. The families in Scotland really had a voice and were able to be part of something that meant something. I can appreciate the crew for what they did with this project. They helped those who were being exploited. This documentary was so powerful, it changed history and presently, Trump lost this battle and the right people one. Congrats to this documentary for meaning something!

A story that deserves to be told through the competent lens of Baxter

[StevePulaski · 8/10 · 16 March 2013]

Documentaries exist to tell a story that may have been neglected by the mainstream media or to reveal more information about a popular issue. They're creatures that can be erected from almost any subject, given a band's new lead singer, school bullying, healthcare, a sex-scandal, a critique on a president, or even a fast food restaurant. You've Been Trumped follows a story that, specifically, we may not have heard about, but we certainly can't be too surprised is coming to light. This is yet another case of a multi-billion dollar corporation attempting to get the better of the smaller man, further emphasizing personal gain and greatly limiting those ill-equipped with the ability to defend themselves.

The film focuses on American billionaire extraordinare Donald Trump, who in 2007, decided to carry out plans to construct an eighteen-hole golf course, 1,500 townhouses, and a five star hotel all on the gorgeous land of Aberdeen, Scotland. The land was a conservation area, with sand dunes that were claimed to have been there for thousands of years, posing enormous environmental controversy. Some of Scotland's purest, most unrefined land would soon become home to conventional landscapes. I stand with the late, great George Carlin on the idea of golf courses; why must we devote millions of beautiful acres to a game? But Trump feels it must be done, and is willing to get it done even if he has to deliberately drive local resident/farmer Michael Forbes out of the area. Forbes' home is located right outside where the hotel would go, and he feels that seeing his "pig sty" farm would appall his customers. What Trump claims to be brutally honest in his remarks about Forbes' farm that bears years of history comes off as nothing but pompous babble that shows his ignorance and stunning sourness more-so than any figure would seemingly allow. We see how far Trump's humiliation and persistency will go; he winds up cutting off Forbes' electricity and water.

Director Anthony Baxter chronicles the long, multimillion dollar battle between Trump, Forbes, the Scotland government, and the environmental agencies, who Trump feels he has smitten, when really, they couldn't be more opposed to the construction. What we get is a story that was definitely fit for documentation. This is yet another entry in the line of documentaries I've seen that show depressing corporate manipulation in order to make more of themselves and less of everyone else. I recently watched a terribly underrated Swedish documentary called Big Boys Gone Bananas!*, which detailed the story of an indie filmmaker who tried to expose the banana-giant Dole for using an illegal pesticide on their banana crop. What followed was an endless array of court cases, appeals, lawsuits, media trouble, slandering, etc, showing just what happens when indie cinema crashed with a corporate tycoon. It was a documentary that completely exercised its first amendment right, and showed how it was being taken away in a particular situation.

If there's one thing that stuns me about You've Been Trumped, it's not Trump's bitter, remorseless bigotry, it's how people are reacting to it. Did you honestly expect Donald Trump a charming persona. Should he? Due to his highly-acclaimed status, I'd say definitely. But no, he's a businessman, a cut-throat one I may add. That doesn't make his actions anymore justifiable or acceptable, but are businesspeople the kind you paint with the brush of charm? Trump's arrogant and grossly disrespectful attitude is one to particularly loathe, but given the fact that he basks in the pompous light of attention and relentlessly competes for headlines, whether it be a million-dollar donation to a charity in exchange for the president's birth certificate or a presidential nominee, it isn't one that is desperately hard to believe.

For a debut filmmaker, Baxter could not have opened his film career with a more deeper and poignant work if he tried. There is a point in the documentary where he is even handcuffed and taken into police custody; a scene which becomes a wraparound for this film, showing the unbelievable "every man for himself" battleground Trump's presence in Scotland has turned the entire community.

It should also be noted that Baxter serves as the cinematographer here as well, often painting Scotland as the giant landscape of beauty it has always been known for. It's so beautiful and incalculably valuable, we hate to see the land lost nothing but greedy, uncompromising tactics from a billionaire suit. While this is undoubtedly a documentary with a relatively unsurprising story, it's nonetheless a story that deserves to be told through the competent lens of Baxter.

Starring: Donald Trump and Michael Forbes. Directed by: Anthony Baxter.

The Real Donald J. Trump

[jlthornb51 · 10/10 · 17 August 2015]

An incredibly powerful documentary that strips Donald Trump bare and exposes him for who he really is. For decades Trump as been a joke but this film demonstrates clearly that the Donald isn't so funny. His assertion of sheer force of will might be admirable if one weren't a free person on the receiving end of it. Trump has contempt for all who oppose him and his favorite weapon are character assassination and the courts. He will sue over anything. Trump also believes anything is for sale and can be bought. This seems to currently include the presidency of the United States. Trump is a demagogue in public and knows well how to manipulate a crowd. However, in business he has only had a minor interest in honesty and decency and focuses primarily on personal gain. With an ego the size of all outdoors and a dark side that's deeply disturbing, Trump is profiled in this documentary with accuracy, insight, and frightening clarity.

Capitalism uncovered.

[hsarkar-007 · 16 March 2014]

This documentary is a classic expose of the decay of humanity in the compost of capitalism. This is a grotesque example of corporate bullying and institutionalized hegemony.

When Mr. Trump decides to desecrate the natural flora and fauna of Aberdeen, Ireland and uproot the lives of people settled there, he must face resistance from the good people of Aberdeen who won't give up without a fight. This documentary reminds one of the ancient tale of David and Goliath or perhaps a recurring event in history where a free and oppressed people have risen against tyranny.

This documentary gets us to reflect on the state of the society we live in, most importantly on what we have allowed society to become. It causes us to consider the harsh truth that maybe imperialism is not dead after all, just evolved. And it reiterates the need to let them know, for all time that we are, and will remain the 99%.

Lord of the Rings Gold Course

[AIANDAS · 8/10 · 2 April 2015]

You must be saying to yourself what does this douchebag have to do with LOTR? I was in my hotel room channel surfing while I waited for the evening to come so we can go out and came upon this gripping engaging documentary. Boy is this yet another indictment against this self-absorbed idiot! Going back to why LOTR, where is the connection? In the Two Towers we meet the Ents and watch how the Orcs as they take a wholesale approach to destroying trees setting the Ents on fire etc. In this documentary we see bulldozers uproot beautiful trees and then BURYING THEM to make way for the"greatest golf course." WOW who knew the donald will have yet another dubious moniker after himself: AN ORC!

See how Trump operates

[ollie798 · 10/10 · 2 August 2020]

A good insight into shady Donald Trump and his corrupt business practices. Also features one of his many grifter children, the so-called Don Jr.

Fantastic documentary

[Treacle-A · 9/10 · 14 October 2016]

This a great little movie with everything an excellent documentary needs; pathos, drama, tragedy and humour. Anthony Baxter comes across as a very sympathetic and empathetic filmmaker who gets to know the subjects of him film - the residents of Balmedie - very well and obviously gains their trust and friendship.

The theme - ordinary people being steamrollered by corporate greed - is a classic one, and as the central figure of Trump so typifies the careless, thoughtless greed of corporate America it makes for one hell of a drama. Great film. Well worth watching. And look out for the sequel!

Documentary showing the FACT how evil Drumpf is!

[smxx-58396 · 10/10 · 12 October 2020]

Wish this was released before the 2016 election! not that anyone with just a little common sense could see how cold amd ruthless Drumpf really is and always has been . Why it wasn't released was because Drumpf knew it would have kept him from winning the election ( he probably didn't think he'd win anyway but had enough people seen this before casting their votes most likely he'd almost definitely lost) Now that he has a cult who tbinls he c" chosen by god unfortunately and can't do no wrong it doesn't matter if they saw it not but it could change a few people's views. If you even knew a little about of the shady things Drumpf did and still voted for him ... well nothing anyone can say would change your mind now so why should I waste my time... Go watch this Drumpf supporters and if you still love him after ... well you're without any morals or a Half wits brain!

A great story even if it is not a great film per se

[bob the moo · 29 January 2017]

The date stamp on this user comment probably indicates what finally got me around to watching this film. It was only a few days after Trump got sworn in as President – something that happened partly due to a campaign where he ran on the basis of his greatness as a businessman and how that is what the country needs (although this suggests his win was about him, whereas really I think it was more a matter of the DNC losing it rather than him winning it). Recent politics of course are not part of the film, but it does have an extra chill to it now, since it does show what he is like a businessman.

What we see here is his ego and confidence front and center; demeaning and insulting the residents, riding his power for all it can get him, and generally being a boorish, classless type with no real consideration for the locals or their environment, other than him saying the right things in his usual way. The film doesn't really try to pin everything onto Trump, but it is very clear that he is very much in this deal and that the style of delivery is all him. Baxter contrasts that nicely with the people living with this development; I don't think he sugar coats them or paints them as saints – although the use of Local Hero is smart – instead they are just allowed to be themselves and that in itself is enough to make them look like saints next to Trump and his people.

Technically it is not a great film. It is a bit messy in the structure, and the camera-work leaves a lot to be desired at times due to shadows, poor framing, and other such niggles. However most of Baxter's work is that of journalist and he does this well, and the nature of the film means the lack of polish can be more than forgiven. Anyway, the story it tells, and the impression of Trump that it leaves is what makes it work – and now that he is President, the film becomes that much more impacting, and hopefully will gain some more eyes as a result of his new job.

TRUMP was hated was LONG BEFORE HE RAN FOR PRES!

[alexking4777 · 9/10 · 14 August 2023]

I saw this back in the day and it absolutely disgusted me about Trump and his family. He's not changed much since and people like to pretend the only reason people dislike the man was because he switched parties or ran for Pres. This is absolutely not true and the man has a long laundry list of reasons why he is not a good person and never was.

This documentary does a great job of following a family and their fight against a "giant" who did everything he could to make people's lives a living hell. Then when it was all said and done left his mess and didn't even pay people. He even ruined environmentally protected land and the Scottish government went along with it foolishly . Sad and perfect story to show you those at the top do not care about you.

I had already thought he was a cringe tv personality that pretended to be rich and this documentary not only proves it but shows his true underbelly of business and greed.