A Biased Look into the Heart of America.
Controversial filmmaker, Michael Moore has done more than make an award winning film, he has made a film that makes us question our very existence as Americans. In his documentary Bowling for Columbine, he delves deep into the phenomena that is gun violence in America. In his search for the cause of gun violence, he covers a wide range of potential answers. He lets the viewer decide whether it is the video games, music, TV, racism, or anything else that is causing Americans to quite possibly be the most gun violent society in the world. Although, he leaves the answer up in the air for the viewer to speculate on, it is an extremely skewed point of view that he tries to persuade us with. I feel that through his satirical tone and a grossly biased theme, Michael Moore's masterpiece begins to fall from a factual documentary to a less respectable, full blown docudrama.
Michael Moore did a spectacular job in turning a serious social epidemic into a fast paced, exciting, and intensely interesting film. Moore's most impressive accomplishment was the up-tempo pace he achieved for the film. I think a main contributor to his success was the ability to effectively use such a wide range of television footage, movie clips, interviews, and cartoons. All of which, added a new aspect to the movie, some perhaps more effective than others. Although the film seems almost like a "collage" at times, his direction is strongly felt throughout.
ONE.
Bowling for Columbine is a very interesting film, which dares to cover a topic that is on the tip of many American's tongues. However, the one thought that continues to linger in my mind is how much different this documentary is than any other I have ever seen. Maybe it's because of Moore's dark satirical humor that underlies the entire movie? Or maybe it's just because Moore is a modern day gonzo filmmaker? I think the real reason is because Moore turned this controversial topic into a one sided docudrama, that resembles a personal crusade for himself.