As I have mentioned elsewhere too, the ‘more’ I get to see / read ‘Moore’s work, I love him more. Its almost as if he knows what is in this mind – after his two hilarious book, or rather even before it, I had the greatest desire to see Bowling for Columbine after Michael Moore made a dramatic Oscar speech in 2002. And boy, what a movie-documentary this is. Brilliantly juxtaposed with different aspects of life that have made America, a rather unsafe place for itself, (and of course others ;-) ), Moore conveys the irony of it all in an incredibly stunning way.
April 20, 1999, American forces bombed Kosovo with its highest power of military it had used since the bombing began. April 20, 1999, at a high school in Colorado known by the name Columbine, 2 students with a gun opened fire upon assuming students, killing 12 of their own co-students, 1 teacher and then finally killing themselves.
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A bank in Michigan (or perhaps North Dakota) gives away free rifles for opening an account and maintaining a minimum balance of $500. Moore himself opens an account, takes the gun and walks out as normal as it seems – but not before he points the irony of it all – Would you think of putting Guns as a free gift in a bank?
Michigan Militia trains people to use guns. Their motto – if you are an American, you ought to have a gun. Michigan Militia trains people to user their guns to protect themselves in the land of free and brave – Combat training, shooting, bomb making are basic courses taught to every day citizens. Regardless of age, sex, creed, if you are American, you are accepted at Michigan Militia. Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols trained there, later using their immense expertise to bomb the Oklahoma State building, and killing more 130 of their own brethren.
Countless usurps which America has funded, countless arms to other militia in this world, and yet some day they all come back to strike the very land that began. An irony perhaps that the people whom they funded $3 Billion came back to strike WTC with their own planes.
A suburban place Flint in Michigan – A black mother works two jobs for her child by traveling 80 miles a day to earn pennies literally under Welfare program funded by state. Her son, a six year old kid in first grade, in an over time situation job for her mom, is left behind at uncles. The six year old kid takes the gun from their uncles, goes to school next morning, and shoots a girl, six year old, his classmate. Motive unknown; of course a record for the books though – the youngest shooting case in America.
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Bowling for Columbine is nothing short of exemplary film making and touches one of the most controversial societal laws allowing Americans to carry guns. NRA (National Rife Association), as and again whom Moore targets again and again in the movie as one of primary organization responsible for genera degradation of society in America, is very well portrayed.
Moore yet again emphasizes the principle on which the society has built itself in America – FEAR. The fear of impending doom, fuelled by governments, media and such have made such an impact on an average American that a gun may seem to be the safest thing around. Moore brilliantly traces the genesis of this fear, and in between address the black lineage, their importance and the crooked viewpoint of the white world.
Moore interviews a few people too – most notably, Michael Fortier with whom Timothy McVeigh stayed and practiced shooting. His opinion – second amendment allows him to keep a gun so be it; his views – a person may keep plutonium too if he wishes. Moore meets Charlton Heston (chairman of NRA), and asks him the same – why is the American society facing so many gun-murders. Amusing answer – “multi-ethnicity perhaps”.
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Moore’s direction is excellent in the way he has used the images and real shoots to put in his movie. The WTC sequence is chilling, but the Columbine shooting as seen through 4 camera security vision literally shakes you. Nothing gory, but the way the voices and shrieks and bullets seem to blow makes you sit up and take notice.
And yet at other times, you allow yourself to laugh at the irony that Canada has more gun owners than America, and yet has nearly no gun-murders. While all developed countries claim at the maximum of 300 gun related murders, America prides itself on 12000. Canada, by the way, 20 odd.
Special mention to Moore himself – his shot selection and sequencing is amazing. Not for a moment do you want to flinch, in spite of this being a documentary.
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Supremely well made, and very effectively sends a message across. Something is seriously wrong with this society and it has a lot to do with guns. I can’t wait to see his next one – “Fahrenheit911”.