Bowling for Columbine
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Movie Reviews of Bowling for Columbine
Movie Review: Its an ethnic thing - Charlton Heston
Summary: 5 Stars
America got a double-dose of realism when both "Gangs of New York" and "Bowling for Columbine" where released. It is not surprising that many Americans hate this "documentary", which they unfairly call - a fraud. Make no mistake about it - this is a film about Michael Moore as much as it is about the subject matter and there is more than just a smidgen of Jerry Springer hiding behind that smile. The fact is that those who think that this documentary is nonsense will more than likely appraise American foreign policy after watching reruns of Bruce Willis saving those "helpless African" people in the Hollywood war propaganda movie - "Tears of the Sun"."Bowling for Columbine" is everything that "Rambo III" is not. Of course Moore takes some poetic license in making his documentary and yes there is some subversive editing in the process and some bad statistics, but at its heart Moore is asking those same questions that Americans where screaming in the 1960s. "Why do Americans need guns?", "Why is America so violent?" and "Why are Americans so cruel to each other?" What Moore is really hitting at is not the American people but their own government and the manipulation of the media. He shows us what lies beneath the fabric of "God Bless America" with the "fat cat" business types, political corruption, the military industrial complex, crime and paranoia. It all adds up to a ticking bomb and Moore goes to great pains to show that there needs to be change or else the country is basically going to open itself up to some form of martial law.
Moore is a visionary and presents us with a glimpse of the future if things do not change. He dishes it out in many forms by undertaking interviews with people of all types, from different backgrounds, age groups and professions on different topics such a gun control, terrorism, hate crimes, paranoia and the mass media. He presents us with problems such as mind control, war mongering, media generated hysteria and social detachment which appear in a series of documentary segments that are connected by the one link - gun control.
This is one of the most important documentaries you will ever likely see. It should be treated with a degree of skepticism, not everyone or everywhere in America has the problems that Moore lists and some other counties have them too!, but anyone who trashes this film by saying that it is nothing more than totally subjective and self-proclaiming is guilty of complete and utter ignorance - one of the many themes that Moore himself treats in his documentary. Remember those kids at Columbine who shot and killed their classmates? No one listened to them when they needed to be heard. Their calls for help (and they did call for help) where met with ignorance.
In many ways this documentary is the evolution of Reality TV. Springer-types bring up topics to embarrass people or exploit their guests who just want to be on television. They USE people to get the ratings that they need. I was expecting that Moore would do the same, and he does at times, but what he is really trying to show is a truth that is hidden within every American. Watch them breakdown in tears when they say something that they should not have said. Watch them cry when they make the mistake of saying what is obviously on their mind but some sort of unknown PRESSURE prevents them from doing so in public. Where is this pressure coming from? Who causes that and Why? There is something mystical lurking there in the background. Its something that Moore can not quite put his finger on - but he sure as hell can bring it out. Even though the documentary has no real resolution you can conclude that the whole "America is great" feeling that has been bashed into people has been hijacked at some point by those who wish to manipulate the people of that great nation for their own profit. This is what Moore eludes too and he brings it out by generating emotional interviews.
This documentary is prophetic and regardless of how patriotic you are, you should watch it and take some time to think about it. Moore is a breath of life and you should be thankful that someone stuck their head on the guillotine to ask the questions that everybody wants to ask and say the things that everybody wants to say.
Movie Review: Did you people even watch the damn movie?
Summary: 5 Stars
Did even half you ignorant people out there actually watch the movie? No, I didn't think so. So why do we have a bunch of Americans complaining about this movie? Because you people know this man is right but aren't willing to admit the wrongs of your conservative ways. I've read a lot of 1 star reviews about this movie and it's pretty obvious these people haven't even watched the movie (yet they still write a review) because they assume that just because this film was made by Michael Moore (a brilliant director and infamous for his controversial political films/documentaries filled with tongue-in-cheek humour) that it will be bad. I agree that he goes overboard sometimes to exploit Americans and their government as much as possible, but can you really blame him? This movie goes into depth about Americans and their right to bear arms and it's connection with the shootings that took place a couple years back at Columbine high school in Colorado. It covers many topics such as Charlton Heston and the NRA, Marilyn Manson and how his music is claimed to have an influence over troubled youth, a bank that gives out free guns to anyone who opens up a new account, local militia, a town gone insane and issues that every legal-aged citizen must own a firearm and so on and so on. I would love to go into great detail about this movie and bash everyone who claims it was all just a bunch of crap to fill people's heads with liberal propoganda but I won't be able to fit everything in this review so I'll keep it short and sweet. Charlton Heston is a senile old man that is up way past his bedtime to take a long dirt nap in the cold earth (it's kind of hypocritical for a man who appears in a classic movie such as "The Ten Commandments" and preaches about the sin of murder (thou shall not kill) to be shown at an NRA meeting a few days after the shootings supporting an instrument of death on national television further enraging families that have lost loved ones at the hands of two disturbed young men, isn't it? Not a very smart move, Charlie). Marilyn Manson (even though I'm not a fan of his music) has been proven to be a renowned yet misunderstood musician who is not even involved in any way in this tragedy, not even subliminally as most of you might be thinking. As for the bank that hands out free guns, that's just plain retarded. I've heard of banks giving out gifts or special offers for becoming a new member, but guns as gifts? That's just going too far, I could use that gun they give me to rob that very bank! A local militia is a really bad idea too because you have these untrained locals taking people's lives and safety within their own hands. Hello retards!...That's what the god damn police are there for and they are always reliable for safety and protection and plus you don't need freakin' AK-47's and automatic rifles for protection. It's not like you small town hicks have anything of high value to protect anyways and small towns usually have low crime rates anyway....try living in New York City and see how badly you would get mugged there. And the town gone nuts, what were you city officials smoking when you passed that law? Michael Moore also conducts a number of interviews with celebrities, government employees, and citizens alike. His intentionally stupid questions spawn a variety of replies and reactions from those he interviews. In conclusion, this movie is another blow to America's already shattered reputation as one of the most dangerous and crime-filled countries in the world run by a bunch of yahoo sons of b****es who can't tell the difference between what is right and what is wrong and another proud accomplishment for Michael Moore. Anyone who shares the same admiration and respect for Michael Moore as I do would be wise to see this movie and check out his other work such as the hilarious "Canadian Bacon" or his most recent documentary (this time tackling the issue of Bush and the US/Iraq war) Farenheit 9/11. As for you all you critics of his work....we don't need anymore pro-Bush advocates in this world, this is an issue too complex for your little minds to comprehend and this is one liberal you won't silence. Fight on Michael Moore! Fight on!Movie Review: Funny, thought provoking, challenging. An instant classic.
Summary: 5 Stars
Written, Produced and Directed by Michael Moore, BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE fully deserves its Best Documentary Oscar. In fact, I'll admit that before I even watched this, I just presumed Moore was some pudgy idiot and wasn't expecting much given his "Shame on you Mr Bush!" comments. The spirit of Jane Fonda sadly isn't gone. I could just imagine Dubya sitting in front of the TV in the White House, watching the Oscars. After thinking a couple of minutes, he turns to the First Lady with a puzzled look and says "Uh, Laura; honey. Was that chubby guy talkin' 'bout ME or 'bout DADDY? Maybe I'd better ring Mom."But of course it was stupid & naive of me to approach my review in this manner. I may be a self-proclaimed "vidiot", but I'm a person who actually SITS DOWN AND WATCHES movies before I review or moan about them.
BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE is a doco everyone should watch. It's by turns biting, acerbically funny, disturbing, provocative, challenging & sobering.
Practically right off the bat, Moore goes into a bank with a hidden camera to open an account. As a token of their appreciation he is given a free gun! They may as well hang a sign in their window saying "PLEASE ROB US!". Ironically we later learn the fact that Moore won an NRA marksman award as a teen. Is this irony? Or hypocrisy?
Early on I remembered Charles Bronson's line in DEATH WISH 5: "Guns have their uses. IDIOTS with guns make me nervous." I felt that since the right to bear arms is in the U.S Constitution, no one should have the authority to impose their will upon others and violate those rights. Admittedly it's different in NZ, where gun laws are stricter: If an intruder broke into my house I would probably be forced to clock him on the head with my 2" thick Leonard Maltin Movie Guide a few times and hope it works out in my favor.
But check this out. Interviewed here are:
1. A Guy with an "Anarchist Cookbook" on how to make bombs & napalm among other things. (I'm not THAT kind of anarchist!)
2.Another guy who sleeps with a loaded gun under his pillow. Constitutional right? Or just bloody daft?
3. Moore's visit to Lockhead Martin- the World's largest weapons manufacturer. One of their officials is interviewed standing in front of a nuclear warhead and saying he's not doing anything wrong. This guy even goes so far as to say that Columbine-style killings happen all around the World every day. That's totally f***ed up. I must be reading the wrong newspapers.
Other gems among BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE's many highlights is the finale where Moore goes one on one with Charlton Heston, who held a gun rally before the dust had settled on the Columbine Massacre, which makes his battle cry of "From my cold dead hand!" all the more disturbing. Heston also admits to leaving loaded guns lying around his house where his grandkids can get at them. His feeble assertion is "They know not to touch". How did this guy win an Oscar? Heston winds up looking like a right plonker in the end.
Also interviewed are Marilyn Manson, who channelled his demons into music; & South Park co-creater Matt Stone, who worked his frustration at growing up in a small town into comedy; as opposed to them shooting up their schools. While we're on that subject, there's a frightening clip of a schoolkid pulling A DOZEN guns he's had concealed in his baggy pants. Jeez!
Meanwhile, all the bible thumpers are blaming cartoons, Satan, toys, heavy metal, movies (!SPCS!) and Marilyn Manson (Who is actually a very intelligent guy. Maybe HE should run for President?). These clowns are just bad[].
There's also a funny animated sequence about the pilgrims & linking the NRA to the KKK, slavery and witch hunts.
While watching this I found within my personal views conflicting ideals. And yes, I'll openly admit a little hypocrisy. At least I can admit it. BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE is a movie that can be dissected and analysed and interpreted in countless different ways. So that's a good thing, right? And Chuck Heston should really be tipping his toupe to Moore. There's no denying the man has guts. An absolute must see.
Movie Review: Columbine on my doorstep...
Summary: 5 Stars
I sobbed for 27 straight days after the Columbine massacre. I talked to my children, their friends, other parents, to strangers. I just wanted somebody to tell me how this could happen. Instead of simply beating his breast with the rest of us Michael Moore hit the road with the same relentless outrage that brought the human tragedies of Flint, Michigan to living rooms across the country in "Roger and Me." In "Bowling for Columbine" Moore takes a breathtakingly painful subject, of which Columbine is representative, and places it firmly in the center of the lens. One by one Moore sets up theories about violence in America and neatly knocks them down again. This is not a documentary for those who seek simple answers and handy villains. This is a study that charges into your psyche and rearranges notions about "conservative" and "liberal;" it rattles the foundation of what we perceive to be "American ideals;" and, at least in this viewers opinion, drops responsibility for the many tragedies represented by Columbine squarely in the vicinity of my own doorstep. I suspect that others will come away from this documentary, as I did, fundamentally altered in outlook. I wanted Moore to tell me who to point my finger at; I wanted him to tell me to point my finger at the people I had decided deserved it. In the end, the story he told had me looking for answers in my own heart and asking not "What do YOU need to do?" but "What must I do?" if our world is to change.
In true Moore fashion the sacred cows take most of the arrows. Michael Moore is at his best when he is letting his subjects hang themselves, and in "Bowling for Columbine" there is no shortage of people willing to do this. The documentary gets awkward when Moore handles the rope. The Japanese have a wonderful word, "wabi." An object's wabi is the flaw that makes it unique and valuable. "Bowling for Columbine" has some "wabi" moments. Though deserving of the Oscar it received, it is not a perfect work. As a former journalist, I can understand how Moore fell into the trap of demonizing Charlton Heston simply because Heston was courteous enough to make himself available for demonization. That's unfortunate, because Heston isn't the issue - or even a good representative of the issue - and doesn't deserve the abundance of air time he was allotted. Moore ambushed an elderly and ailing man in his own home (for God's sake, this is MOSES we're talking about), attempting to pin Heston to the wall for events in which Moore well knows Heston was, at best, a bit player. Including Heston's actions and statements within the NRA is instructive; the relentless focus on Heston is a lightening rod, and puts in jeopardy the larger purpose.
The "K-Mart" segment clearly demonstrates that somebody in that boardroom saw Roger and Me and realized there would have been no compelling hook if Roger had taken a half hour to talk to Moore. K-Mart made the right decision for all the right reasons and slid under the ropes before Moore had the gloves on tight. The anti-climax of the non-confrontation had Moore goofily giddy as he stumbled witlessly through a few shameless self-congratulatory minutes. Unfortunately for Heston, K-Mart's capitulation apparently left Moore without a high card.
These awkward moments are the film's "wabi" - the flaws that make this work, and Moore as the master story-teller, human and personal. These moments are counterbalanced with brilliant editing, heartbreaking and heart-uplifting stories told by simple story tellers, a sometimes startling view of how we Americans perceive ourselves and how we are perceived by others, and a well-knit, well-presented story. Michael Moore is a master story-teller with a camera. His "everyman" demeanor is personal, unpolished and unerringly human. Those who know Michael Moore's reputation as an instigator and provocateur may have difficulty suspending judgment and giving this work the thoughtful viewing it deserves. Those who manage to do that will find their investment returned.
Movie Review: Michael Moore, I Love You
Summary: 5 Stars
I just finished watching this film for the first time (the credits are playing as I write this) and I'm blown away. I had never seen a Michael More film until this summer, when my mom and I went to see Fahrenheit 911. I thought that movie was stunning, and finally got around to watching this one. I actually called about five video stores before I found one that had this in stock (all the others were checked out). I popped it in at about 6:00, and wow. I've heard lots of stuff about how Michael Moore lies or cleverly edits his movies, and this one got a lot of criticism, but the message is still valid. And an interesting thing is that, in the end, I don't think Mr. Moore actually knew what the answer to his question was. Canada has got guns everywhere, but barely anyone over there gets killed by guns. Here, people get killed all the time by gunshot. However, violence has been a part of every country. So, as the tagline asks, "Are we a country of gun nuts, or are we just nuts?" The answer is up for interpretation. This is quite different from Fahrenheit 911, where the point is staring you in the face. You get hints in this film about what will later come from Mr. Moore, as he takes a few jabs at Bush and his fetish for war and violence, but they are fairly brief mentions. This movie has lots of memorable scenes, but my favorite (and probably the most debated and talked about) is the climactic scene with Charlton Heston. I can see how certain people would see Mr. Moore as being an arrogant jerk, and how people can see that Heston is ignoring important issues and preferring to live in his own world, always safely hiding behind the 2nd ammendment. I happen to agree more with the second view. Some other great scenes are Michael Moore's 'COPS' parody, 'CORPORATE COPS,' the montage of the violence we see everyday simply by turning on the news, and a very interesting bit where he tries to talk to Dick Clark, and Mr. Clark simply closes the door in his face and drives away. This shows a lot about people's views, and how they'd rather ignore people who point out the problem and simply go about their lives, which is something a lot of people I know do.
The credits ended a minute ago, so I switched it over to watch some of the extra features. Michael Moore's talk about the academy award speech is very interesting. It's just my personal view, but I really agree with his speech (check out the IMDB's board about Michael Moore to read the speech) and I think it's commendable that he has the guts to point out really obvious stuff. The reaction of the audience (booing and yelling and getting all mad) further drives home the point of Bowling For Columbine. These people would rather live in ignorance of whether or not their president's decision makes sense than listen to the truth and actually consider it, because this might complicate their minds. The sad thing is that a person like Mr. Moore, who has enough courage to speak their mind, is not taken seriously by the lap-dog Americans.
Also, Michael Moore says on side one that he hasn't provided commentary on the film because he feels it speaks for itself and says all he wants it to say, and I agree with that. the best part of the movie is that it's open for interpratation, and you can decide for yourself what the message is. Some will be like Heston, and just ignore the things they're told, but others will think about what Mr. Moore says. Basically, whatever you think about Michael Moore or his films, I say you should be more open minded and watch the film, because its a real good one, and some of its really funny, and some of its really sad, but all of its really good, and it will definately give you something to consider once you've finsihed watching it.