uncovering michael moore's true mission

Bowling For Columbine

Film ReviewJill Margerison

A dramatic examination of America’s gun usage

Does America have a violent soul?

Reviewing this movie?• Moore informing, entertaining or persuading?

• Key elements for analysis:

• Camera angles, editing, special effects, dialogue, setting, music

Ever thought about Michael Moore’s directorial choice to dress the way he does and seeks street interviews with the public?

“Happiness is a Warm Gun.”..

Germany- 381France- 255Canada- 165

The United Kingdom- 68Japan - 39

America- 11,127

“Do you think it is a little dangerous

handing out guns at a bank?”

“The gun, not the eagle is our true

national symbol.”..

"What A Wonderful World" Selected for controversial montage.

• 1954: over 200K Guatemalans killed when U.S. overthrows democratically-elected President Arbenz

• 1963: U.S. backs assassination of South Vietnamese President Diem.

• 1963-1975: American military kills 4 million people in Southeast Asia.

• September 11, 1973: U.S. stages coup in Chile. Democratically-elected President Salvador Allende assassinated. Dictator Augusto Pinochet installed. 5,000 Chileans murdered.

US Imperial Expansion?

• 1977: U.S. backs El Salvador military junta. 70K Salvadorans killed.

• 1980s: U.S. trains Osama bin Laden and fellow terrorists to kill Soviets. CIA contributes $3 billion

• 1981: Reagan administration trains & funds Contras. 30K Nicaraguans die.

• 1982: U.S. provides billions of dollars in aid to Saddam Hussein for weapons to kill Iranians.

• 1983: The White House secretly gives Iran weapons to kill Iraqis.

• 1989: CIA agent Manuel Noriega (also serving as President of Panama) disobeys orders from Washington. U.S. invades Panama and removes Noriega. 3,000 Panamanian civilian casualties.

• 1990: Iraq invades Kuwait with weapons from U.S.

• 1991: U.S. enters Iraq. Bush reinstates dictator of Kuwait.

• 1998: Clinton bombs possible weapons factory in Sudan. Factory turns out to be making aspirin.

1991-?: American planes bomb Iraq on a weekly basis. U.N. estimates 500,000 Iraqi children die from bombing and sanctions.2000-2001: U.S. gives Taliban-ruled Afghanistan $245 million in aid.Sept. 11, 2001: Osama bin Laden uses his expert CIA training to murder 3,000 people. 

"You all better hide in your houses because I'm

coming for EVERYONE soon, and I WILL be armed

to the teeth and I WILL shoot to kill and I WILL KILL EVERYTHING!“

- Eric Harris, Journal Entry 

Columbine High School, Jefferson County, Colorado

Tuesday, April 20th, 1999

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold actions resulted in 15 dead and 23 injured.

The shooters bought their ammunition at Kmart in Troy, Michigan

Is Moore on a mission to discover the truth? Did he arm with a camera to spark change?It appears to be a ‘David and Goliath’ like battle. Why?

Do you believe American’s thrive on the power of a gun?

It can be argued that Moore takes on the corporate ‘big guns’.

Who are the corporate ‘big guns’?

 Controversial?

Informative

Intriguing

Is Moore approachable?

Is the media a powerful ally?

Does Moore pull a powerful marketing stunt?

Is Moore’s mission a futile one?

Does Bowling for Columbine make you think?

Do you believe that Moore succeeded?

Moore’s Impossible Mission?

• Armed with a camera and a documentary budget of 4 million dollars, Moore is determined to discover the root cause of America’s obsession with the gun.