Michael Moore's latest documentary-style message picture is darkly named Bowling for Columbine, in reference to the last reported activities of the two named shooters in the Columbine High School Massacre. It's an excellent and powerful film about guns in America at times, but at times it rankles with the one-sidedness of Truth.com propaganda.
Bowling for Columbine opens with a stunt similar
to the ones Moore used to pull on TV Nation. Moore
and a camera crew walk into a bank and open an account that
features the premium of a free rifle. Like most of the best
TV Nation segments, the entertainment comes from the
absurd reality of the situation in moments such as a bank
officer proudly explaining that they are a bank and a licensed
gun dealer. While Moore gets off a couple decent lines, his
"I'm smarter than these hicks" smirk makes his point while
ignoring anything that might contradict his smugness.
His punchline (featured also in the trailer so I feel I'm not stepping on any toes) is, "Do you think it's a little dangerous handing out guns in a bank?" It makes for a fine scene and a decent laugh, but would one think it was dangerous to hand out guns from a licensed gun dealer? Gun dealers have a lot of money around, but how often do you think they are robbed? Probably not all that often. It is shortsightedness like this, along with an easily distracted focus, that mars an otherwise fine film.
As long as the viewer takes this film, as I believe Moore
intended it to be, as one man's take on things and as a springboard
to do some research and thought on the subject, that's fine.
But the danger is that audiences will take the film as gospel.
After all, it was shot on handheld video, therefore it must
be true.
All of the film's true gems come filed under the "it's funny
because it's true" category. Some of the best bits include
bad corporate films and inspired juxtapositions. A Lockheed-Martin
executive mouths the standard, "I can't understand why these
kids would think they should just lash out at their enemies
with violence" statement while standing in front of a Titan
missile.
The manufactured parts of Bowling are where most
of the film's misfires come from. Mainly an overly long mildly
amusing cartoon segment about the history of guns in America
that I'm sure many a hip school teacher will show for class,
as it fits right into the standard "the Civil War was
all about slavery" dogma.
Though Bowling for Columbine doesn't become the anti-Second
Amendment rant it could have degenerated into, there is a
definite anti-gun undertone. Sure, Moore over and over again
states that he is a Lifetime NRA member but we never hear
why and when he gained that lifetime membership, which as
of now is a mere 750 dollars.
It's understood that the game of documentary filmmaking is all about what you show and what you don't, and Moore has never pretended that he was unbiased, but with some distance from the film his arguments are as lopsided as the opening segment's punchline.
In covering a Marilyn Manson appearance in Denver after
the Columbine shootings, Manson is painted as a defender of
the First Amendment and the protesters are the bad guys, but
when Chuck Heston and the NRA come to town the protesters
to that are now the good guys. Moore's whole handling of the
aging star leaveS a bad taste.
While much of this has been griping, overall the film succeeds.
A brutal "What a Wonderful World" montage hits home, and Moore
walking into unlocked houses knocks it out of the park. Bowling
for Columbine is probably the best film Michael Moore
has done and I look forward to his next picture, but in his
next picture I hope for a tighter focus and more deeply explored
thesis.
Bowling is that odd must-see even if you don't agree
with it. While it is indeed powerful, think of it as an after
school special for grownups and go to your local library to
"read more about it."
What's It Worth?: $9
