Let's begin with the fact this was ORIGINALLY RELEASED in 2004 - and made available on DVD in 2009 (according to most major online retailers). The film is therefore 10 years old. That doesn't change the history of Dr. Max Gerson discovering a natural alternative healing approach to treat cancer patients back in the late 1920's.
This documentary does exactly what it suggests - 1. Introduce the viewer to Max Gerson, learn about his struggle to bring his story forward. 2. Learn about the toxins we are subject to in every day life and the food we eat. 3. Ultimately learn there may be an alternative form of healing vs. big pharmaceutical medicine as the only means of treatment. How anyone could review that they learned nothing means they were not listening, didn't watch the film, or were close minded to learning about a holistic approach.
For every disease and every treatment, one can read stories of people who had 100% success and 100% failure. I'm sure the same can be said of natural treatments as well. Whether you believe in mind over body or not is not necessarily relevant to this film (though many would believe the mind is more powerful than we give it credit).
I would tend to agree that if the Gerson Therapy was attempted in the United States there would be efforts by large drug companies and government to discredit or stop it. Don't take my word for it, see "Farmageddon" and you'll see exactly how the government can intervene in the lives of 'free' citizens. Like it or not, pharmaceutical companies are in business to make a profit. Without a never ending need to supply drugs, their revenue dries up.
The DVD is an opportunity to learn about Max Gerson, and his treatment - it's not intended to diagnose, treat or cure you. There are books and many other means to gather more information. Just like any good documentary, this one is opens your eyes to something we typically don't see on the evening news. While I agree the narrator may not be the most upbeat, that doesn't take away from the content, but you can certainly take a star off your rating if you feel that strongly. I would have liked a touch more statistical information to show that maybe not everyone that attempted the therapy succeeded? In general, for me the best documentaries are those that are not afraid to show there are often 2 sides to every story. Primarily for this reason, I gave it 4 stars vs. 5. In the end, each individual needs to decide the best action to follow for their own well-being.
I will indeed be one of many having viewed this program to seek out more information. There are many documentary films that will confirm some of the statements in this one - that the food we eat has the potential to heal us or make us very ill. In 2008, "The Beautiful Truth: The World's Simplest Cure for Cancer" was released that some viewers may find more 'lively' and speaks to some of the genetically modified foods.