February 07, 2003
Bowling For Columbine
So, I finally saw Bowling For Columbine tonight.I'm left with a frustrated feeling about Michael Moore. It could have been a better picture if he had just gotten out of the way a little bit. It's like he has a good eye for the subject material but then he has to run over it that last little bit.
Here's a good example of why I'm bothered. There's a school shooting and he goes on location and films all the other press groups. He films a TV reporter being on camera. "Many tears shed tonight..." says the TV reporter with a respectful look of gravity. Fade to black. He immediately starts bitching about technical difficulties and his hair and the satellite van. He jokes around and looks like a real egotistical prick. Take two. Re-adopt look of gravity. Do his thing, fade to blank, turn into a jerk again. It really was amazing how over-the-top it felt, when it really wasn't over the top. This guy really was this false. Right after saying the words about this six year old girl being murdered, RIGHT after, cracking jokes about his hair spray. Anyway, I felt all indignant watching that. The filthy tricks those people play with cameras to manipulate viewers' emotions!
So at the end he's interviewing Charleton Heston, who tires of it quickly and leaves. There's Moore saying, off camera, "Can you look at this picture of this six-year-old victim?" as Heston walks away. There's a cut - to Moore holding the picture looking after Heston walking away. There's Heston again, Moore saying off-screen, "Please, Mr. Heston! Please take this picture!" There's a cut to Moore holding the picture again looking distressed as Heston walks away.
HE ONLY HAD THE ONE CAMERAMAN. I immediately put together the backstory in my head. Heston walks off with Moore heckling after him. Camera gets turned off, Moore says, "ok, now, set up focusing on me holding out the picture! That'll be great!" Camera turns on. Moore poses. Again, The filthy tricks those people play with cameras to manipulate viewers' emotions!
I mean, how am I supposed to feel? That was just sloppy. Why include the scene with that other anchor earlier in the movie? That was just a big clumsy double standard. "Feel indignant about being manipulated unless I'M the one communicating the message!" That's what I mean about Moore getting in the way of himself. Anyway, it soured the movie for me. If someone's going to take on the mantle of exposing hypocrisy, they have to hold themselves to a higher standard.
Posted by Curt at February 7, 2003 11:49 PM
Who the hell are you to treat a movie like Bowling for Columbine like it meant nothing. That is one of the only movies that has really made me look and think about our country and I noticed how corrupt it had become. I'm only fourteen and I am already leaning towards anarchy and taking the governemnt out of place. Bowling for Columbine is an amazing movie and Im gonna stand by that. And The entire purpose of the movie was to make you think about what hapened and what is hapening, so who cares if thaey had to play a few camera tricks.
Peace out
Robbie
It's been a while since I wrote this blog entry. Somewhere out there (perhaps on kuro5hin.org) there is an article that attempts to explain how Moore really did use two cameras in the scene in question. To me it's still up in the air. Over time my feeling about Moore has softened a little bit - I think he's doing good things, but I just think his message could go further if he toned down on the bombast.
okay i saw the documentary and i agree with what michael moore is saying. you have no right to say that this movie is wrong or that it has no message and that it is all a lie because it isnt. he goes around and interviews people schools. for exaple the guy that made south park ....you think that because of shows like that violence doesnt occure well it does and that is what he is trying to show....people or children who wtahc dhows liie that will become violent if parents dont do naything about it....and many people dont close their doors because they no that no one will ocme into their hous ebut how can u be so sure. they are all blind because there is more violence in the world now then there was before.
i have othing else to say well i do but it would tkake bout 5 pages.
Posted by: Marta at December 7, 2003 06:51 PM