The story of “Corn” | Documentary or horror movie?
Simultaneously nostalgic and sinister, “King Corn” mixes full-blown Americana with fast-food follies in the Iowa heartland. By the time this documentary is over, you’ll wonder if there’s any real difference between “corn-fed” and “diabetic.”
Producer-director Aaron Woolf follows two college pals, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, who both have family roots in Iowa, as they plant an acre of corn and see where it takes them over the course of a year. It’s not a pretty process.
They learn that much of the corn is inedible (until it’s treated with chemicals), their crop is unprofitable (aside from government subsidies) and that farmers can no longer live off their land. The idea of feasting on your very own corn on the cob (or grinding it up for corn meal) now seems impractical and naive.
Since 1970, much of the country’s corn has been turned into ethanol, cattle feed or high-fructose syrup for juices and sodas - a leading cause of obesity and diabetes. In a series of interviews, the lethal potential of corn syrup becomes shockingly clear. One family in particular has been devastated by diabetes and the amputations that can go with undiagnosed cases.
“Soda is liquid candy,” says one nutritionist. “We’re not growing quality,” says a farmer. “We’re growing crap.”
Never condescending, the filmmakers sympathize with the folks in Greene, Iowa, who rely almost entirely on corn for their economy. Mountains of corn fill the eye; grain elevators are stuffed with kernels. One native announces that there’s enough corn here to feed the entire United States.
Occasionally, the filmmakers do poke fun at themselves. One of the boys isn’t too sure about what they’ve set out to do. “How big’s an acre?” he asks. But by the time their crop is ready, they proudly wade into the stalks, “Field of Dreams” style and, seduced by the beauty of the place, contemplate doing it all over again.
Gentler and not as slick as “Super Size Me” or similar documentaries, “King Corn” traces the farm-subsidy system back to the Nixon administration, especially former Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz. In old television footage, he pushes the idea of cheap and plentiful farm food. When the filmmakers track him down, he’s frail but feisty, claiming, “I don’t see much room for improvement.”
John Hartl: johnhartl@yahoo.com