Movie 10: Fahrenheit 9/11

Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) by Michael Moore

In a nutshell: Didn't care for Moore's games this time around

Michael Moore takes on the Bush presidency.

I loved Bowling for Columbine although I recognized Michael Moore's many tricks that he uses to make points. He is definitely not an impartial interviewer. By inserting himself, he is able to manipulate the tone of his interviews to make the interviewee either seem sympathetic or stupid. Rarely does he present an interview that offers the viewer the opportunity to make a decision on their own as other great documentarians (such as Errol Morris) do. In Bowling for Columbine, he uses this tactic skillfully while tackling a topic that pretty much everyone is united against: violence in America. In contrast, in Fahrenheit 9/11, he takes on MUCH more two-sided issues, and the holes in his method really show.

I did not care for the way he speaks down to his viewers. He treats us as though we cannot think on our own. He oversimplifies arguments for his own convenience. Personally I don't care for Bush, and consider myself more of a democrat, but that doesn't make it ok for me. Moore has some good points, but really insulted my intelligence while making them. He can't resist pulling one of his stunts, walking around capital hill, trying to get senators to sign their kids up for the military. Of course they aren't going to stop and sign them up on the spot! He has really put them in a situation where they cannot come out looking good.

Another example of a good point that he screws up is when he gets a congressman or senator (don't remember which) to admit that they don't fully read the bills they approve. First of all, I wouldn't expect them to read every one, but they damn well better have a good idea of the basic jist of them (which I am sure they do). But Moore doesn't give the senator/congressman an opportunity to follow up on his initial statement that they don't read the bills in full. THEN he goes and reads the entire patriot act through a megaphone on an ice cream truck as he drives around Washington. I am sorry, but what does this accomplish?? It gives him some material for his trailer, but that's about it.

The movie still has some moving moments. Not surprisingly, the scene that I found to be most powerful came when Moore kept his ugly face off the screen for once. The mother of a soldier that was killed in Iraq confronts a woman on the street who is basically blowing off the anti-war protestors by saying that it is all an act (or something along those lines). The mother obviously takes offense and her emotions are real. Furthermore, she has not been lead into any emotions by Moore's loaded questions.

Make no mistake, Moore tackles important issues, and as long as he does, I will continue watching his films, but that does not mean that I have to like them. Rather, I will watch them with a careful eye, trying not to be led to any of Moore conclusions unless I am able to arrive at those same opinions on my own.

Rolling Rankings:
1. Pulp Fiction (#8)

2. Sideways (#1)

3. Napoleon Dynamite (#5)

4. Raising Arizona (#2)

5. Grave of the Fireflies (#4)

6. The Illusionist (#9)

7. Dr. No (#7)

8. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (#3)

9. Fahrenheit 9/11 (#10)

10. Heist (#6)