Cindy Joy G.

Ojerio BSA 2-2 University of San Agustin

The INFORMANT
Based on true story of Mark Whitacre

Based on an unusual true story directed by Steven Soderbergh that initially released on September 18, 2009(USA).
This is the tale of Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon), a young executive at lysine developing company Archer Daniels Midland ,
who become a whistle blower to inform the NBI on illegal activity at his workplace. Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), is a
Fortune 500 company based in Decatur, Illinois that produces among other things lysine, a corn based derivative used in
almost all manufactured foods. It was October 1992 when a virus was found in their production plant, which is affecting the
production of the lysine. Mark receives a telephone call from a Japanese competitor,AJINOMOTO, who visited the plant
recently and who implies that there is a mole in the company that works for that Japanese competitor, he who infected the
lysine with the virus among other nefarious activities against ADM. He will divulge the identity of the mole for $10 million.
Based on that information, the company brings in the FBI to investigate. On the urging of Mark's wife Ginger, Mark uses the
opportunity to tell the FBI that he is aware of price fixing of lysine by ADM and its competitors, as Mark has been sent to
meetings where it has been discussed. The FBI convinces Mark to become their eyes and ears to obtain proof of the price
fixing agreements, those eyes and ears which includes Mark helping them bug meeting rooms with surveillance equipment.
This leads to a raid on ADM, along with some arrests of key players. However, Whitacre is a severely deluded, hopelessly
optimistic, and potentially criminally deceitful individual that brought so much shock and dismay on the FBI agents he's
working for, that he's been embezzling millions of dollars from ADM for years, including during the time he was doing covert
operations for the FBI. As Mark goes through this process for close to three years, he has a naive view of what his actions
mean for himself in relation to his job at ADM. He also has to deal with other goings-on at ADM which may not shine a
positive light on himself. These activities in combination may have either caused or be a factor in his his battle with bi-polar
disorder.
On the other hand, this movie reflects the reality in business world where bulk of illegal actions took place where we're
not knowledgeable enough about the happenings, especially in price fixing that involves big companies like AJINOMOTO,
Archer Daniels Midland and Kyowa Hakko Kogyo. Based on my own perception price fixing literally occurs on those food
processing products related since it is highly in demand on public to allow them obtain increment profits to define their
success and wealth. At foregoing issues on this movie I was astound by those cartel on how they are intelligent enough to
keep their competitors at hand to manipulate and control the market. Moreover looking at the standpoint of Whitacre, it
seems too hard for him to become an informant for such case for he was afraid to lose his job. Looking on other perspective
his intention to be a whistle blower is purposefully hoping it can help him to accelerate his position that subsequently he
agreed and yet, Whitacre deceived by money that brought him to do illegal actions. This movie reflects the reality nowadays
where sometimes I am urged to do some actions for the sake of not solving the situation but just taking advantage of it. That
is life, our actions and decisions are rippled towards people significant to us.
At last according to Earle (1920),price fixing is an agreement between participants on the same side in a market to buy or
sell a product, service, or commodity only at a fixed price or maintain the market conditions such that the price is maintained
at a given level by controlling supply and demand that leads to accelerate profits and stabilize prices. In US legal status price
fixing can be prosecuted as a criminal federal offense under Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act that handled by he US
Dept. Of Justice together with Federal Trade Commission. In Philippines, Republic Act No. 7581 or known as “THE PRICE ACT”,
this act provides protection to consumers against unjustifiable prices of basic necessities.In conclusion, I would strongly
recommend this movie, “The Informant”, to all product consumers to be vigilant in every situation more specifically in buying
their own necessities to be not victimized of price fixing. To those company owners, to be wise in choosing their employee
and to be fair towards their clients. More importantly to those persons like Whitacre, whose blinded by wealth and was
induced to make illegal actions to provide more satisfaction, based on his own meaning, to their family. At the end, I realized
that success which is rooted from shortcuts and lies will never last as there is no effort exerted and no persistence.