Fahrenheit 9/11 - Kim Roberto

Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
A Film by Michael Moore

Many people will tell you that this doc has an obvious agenda and those people are absolutely correct in their observation. Michael Moore was most definitely trying to discredit President George W. Bush around the time of the 2004 presidential election -- and according to the film, it was for one heck of a good reason. This was my first time screening Fahrenheit 9/11 and it's a wonder I haven't done so sooner. It is highly interpretive in its findings and can quite clearly be placed on the left side of the line drawn in the sand.

The film is narrated by Moore himself who is never without witty, insightful commentary which accompanies images of American politicians as they make blunder after blunder. It also has quite a unique tone -- at times, I found myself wondering if I was watching a documentary or a satire. Moore treats it like he's a kid telling stories around the campfire and I was absolutely riveted. I think a sarcastic tone was needed in order to portray the Bush administration; it's a sort of poetic irony considering that our former President tended to treat American politics with a detached sense of humor.

Moore goes out of his way to personally interview many of the participants in the doc, especially the mother of a soldier killed over in Iraq. He carefully details her experiences with the war over the course of at least several months: when we first see her, she is a staunch supporter of the war, much as we all were in the beginning. Yet, as time presses on, she becomes more and more dissatisfied until one day, we come to find that her son has died as a result of the war. It gets us emotionally invested to the point where you find yourself getting angry at everything all over again.

It's interesting to note that the film is not told in chronological order, but rather by order of ideas. It is organized in such a way that revelations are easily made so that the film feels almost like a feature. We get familiar with people who are present for most of the doc and come to regard them emotionally the way one might regard a character in a feature film.

We are also exposed to graphics and music that definitely give a liberal impression by the way they caricature the members of the Bush administration. For example, at one point in the doc, Bush, Cheney, and several other members of his entourage are introduced as cowboys in an old western flick to symbolize that the invasion of Iraq was made by cowboys with a thirst for oil.

He also touches on fear as a motivator; while this film was highly influential, Bush still won the upcoming 2004 presidential election. So, perhaps Moore was proven right: people were so afraid of the "red alert" and the terrorist threat that they re-elected a man to office who was clearly unsuitable for the job.

Moore's style, while very cinematic and metaphorical, is also heavy on research. He really doesn't leave any room for second guesses which is an especially good thing for a doc with a point of a view. It was convincing enough to sway the potential Bush-fanatic -- gees, did anybody like that guy? I shudder to think.