Fact checking The Big Short
"Every one percent unemployment goes up, 40,000 people die" 鈥� this comes from the film The Big Short. Is this true? Plus: is the UK is the fifth largest economy in the world?
"Every one percent unemployment goes up, 40,000 people die, did you know that?" says Brad Pitt playing a former investment banker Ben Rickert, in the recent Oscar-winning film The Big Short. Although based on a true story, the filmmakers admit there is some creative license in some of the scenes. But is there any truth to this statistic? It turns out it鈥檚 a figure that has been around for many decades. We explore its origins.
The debate over whether the UK should leave the European Union is heating up ahead of the referendum this summer. Many politicians have said that the UK is the fifth largest economy in the world 鈥� is that a fair assessment? We look at the GDP figures.
(Image: Brad Pitt attends the premiere of "The Big Short" in New York 2015. Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
Last on
More episodes
Broadcasts
- Fri 4 Mar 2016 20:50GMT大象传媒 World Service Online, Americas and the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East & UK DAB/Freeview only
- Fri 4 Mar 2016 21:50GMT大象传媒 World Service East Asia, Australasia, South Asia & West and Central Africa only
- Mon 7 Mar 2016 02:50GMT大象传媒 World Service Americas and the Caribbean
- Mon 7 Mar 2016 03:50GMT大象传媒 World Service Online, East Asia, Europe and the Middle East & UK DAB/Freeview only
- Mon 7 Mar 2016 04:50GMT大象传媒 World Service South Asia
- Mon 7 Mar 2016 05:50GMT大象传媒 World Service Australasia
- Mon 7 Mar 2016 07:50GMT大象传媒 World Service East and Southern Africa & Europe and the Middle East only
- Mon 7 Mar 2016 13:50GMT大象传媒 World Service Online & UK DAB/Freeview only
- Mon 7 Mar 2016 14:50GMT大象传媒 World Service East and Southern Africa, East Asia, South Asia, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa only
Download this programme
Subscribe to this programme or download individual episodes.