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I’ll be fair first. I don’t always like Michael Moore. While some of Stupid White Men made me laugh, other parts were offensive to me, particularly a chapter devoted to his own foriegn policy “ideas.” His next film is going to be called Farenheit 911, and he’s said that he’s determined to release it in October 2004, right before the election. I’m not a fan of Bush, but I worry it may be hard to sit through a movie that was created entirely to slander someone.
That’s why I like Bowling for Columbine, because I sense honest intentions behind it. Moore comes from Flint, Michigan, a place where a little girl was shot by her classmate shortly before Bowling for Columbine was shot. He’s sad to see these happening to our nation’s children, and he wants to know why. The most valuable part of this film, at least in my opinion, is how it systematically refutes “explanations” for gun violence.
-Charlton Heston blames it on a “mixed ethnicity,” but Moore claims Canada had an even bigger mix, complete with a lower crime rate.
-Violent video games? Japan has much more violent games than we do, and their homicide rate is much lower as well.
-Violent history? Germany was once home to the Nazi party, and they have a lower rate than us.
One possibility he raises that I always found very reasonable was the description of enormous high school prssure that was discussed in his interview with Matt Stone. Kids are cruel to each other growing up, and I think the reason those Columbine kids snapped was because of years and years of teasing by their classmates.
Conservatives seem very intimidated by Bowling for Columbine, I’m not sure why. It doesn’t seem so dangerous to me. Do you think that a movie would be enough to ever change the policy of the president? Anyone who heard the “with us or with the terrorists” speech should know the answer to that. But then again, some of these people who flip out over the Dixie Chicks or Tim Robbins stating their opinions never seem to be able to grasp that these isolated incidents of free speech are pretty harmless.
Moore is often called an Anti-American, which is a term I think is overused and rarely appropriate. Osama Bin Laden is an Anti-American. Moore would not like to see American destroyed, he would like to be a place with less violent deaths and discontent citizens. Moore doesn’t hate America, he loves America. The free speech he’s grown up with has given him the opportunity to write his books and make his movies. He is certainly anti-Bush, but why should that make someone anti-American? I’m sure plenty of conservatives were anti-Clinton or anti-Carter of anti-Kennedy, but I would never call them anti-Americans. Our real enemies are people who would destroy crowded buildings in NYC, not people who voted for Gore.
Yet, despite all this, the attacks on Moore’s film are often totally vicious and off-base. A disturbing number of the reviews on this site, and many others, attack his weight more often than they attack the film. Yes, Moore is fat but so is Rush Limbaugh for God’s sake.
Now, as for the allegations that Moore has fabricated some of the events in this film, I’m not sure exactly how to address all of them. Did he take Charlton Heston’s “From my cold dead hands” speech totally out of context? Yes, he might have. But the thing is, this happens ALL THE TIME. Doesn’t make it right, but it does happen. The Dixie Chicks said they were ashamed Bush was from Texas, you hardly ever read about the apology they issued shortly afterward. Critics of Bowling for Columbine only cite parts of it to try and dismiss the whole movie as meritless, and that’s the same thing. And also, do these people really think that Rush Limbaugh and people over at Fox News always present clear and fair arguments about their politics? I don’t think so.
Bowling for Columbine may not be entirely true, and it’s advisable for a viewer to keep an open mind and swallow everything so easily. But it is a brilliantly constructed polemic, engrossing to watch and certainly relevant. No matter what your politics, you’ll think on the issues raised here after seeing the movie, and that’s admirable in itself.
Bowling for Columbine is a movie, and like all art it is certainly subjective. Those out there who are afraid of the left wing having a chance to speak out? Don’t be. The war in Iraq still happened despite vocal objections from many Americans, so what do you have to worry about? People (and don’t call us anti-Americans) who are disillusioned with the state of the country, disillusioned by the constant violence going on here, disillusioned by lies and the manipulation of media, may find some brief solace in a movie like this. Is that so wrong? I think this is Michael Moore’s best work, because it concerns all of us. I can give this film nothing less than my highest recommendation.
I have taken 4 friends to see this movie. I have even seen this movie while I was in Montreal to see what the Canadian reaction would be. I must say, I was embarrassed to be an American after watching this movie. I then thought of all the things I should be doing to make this place a better place to live. In other words, this is a thought provoking movie that is truly provocative.
You will see Charles Heston wring his hands in nervousness after he says, “We don’t want any more of that civil rights business going on again”, or “the reason America is violent is because of all the mixed ethnicities.” What an idiot.
And that is just what Michael Moore does, he shows people and the government in their natural element speaking freely, and shows us how insane they are and sound. From George Bush proclaiming that our number one priority should be defense spending when people all over the country are out of work and children are living in poverty without parent supervision, to the crackpot rednecks who are buying more “guns and ammo” because they want to protect themselves from the “evil doers.” It’s this candid honesty of Moore’s subjects that makes us look inward to how this country gone astray. Then Moore tries to explain this with his amazing short animation movie “A Brief History of the United States of America.” Although he simplifies everything, and it is truly brief, it hits home and is certainly eye opening.
Moore tries to explain the question of why America is so violent. Why we are the unique country in the world that kills people with guns on the astronomical level that the United States does. He offers a lot of options to this answer, but ultimately, he leaves the question open for the viewer to search out within him/herself for the answer and make change.
A truly great achievement and I can’t wait till his next film that is due out 2 months before the election that will no doubt, open up people’s eyes to the corrupt and blood thirsty administration that occupies the White House.
Bravo Mr. Moore! Bravo!
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