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1.0 out of 5 stars
Technique = 8... Honesty in Presentation = 0, May 27 2006
First let me say that, as a person (a Canadian for those who are strangely questioning if all the negative reviews are from the USA) who doesn't care for guns and has no interest in them, upon first viewing of "Bowling for Columbine" I was a fan. I loved this film. I thought it was a brilliant documentary and that its presentation of the facts was spot on.
However, the scene where Moore talks about a bomber on display in the desert and the army plaque beneath it always made me wonder exactly how honest he was being, since what he claimed the plaque said sounded too outrageous to me. It kept on grating me until about a year later I began to actually research his film and found that nearly every single thing Moore presents in BFC is either manipulated facts or bald-faced deceptions.
Take the scene of him getting a gun for opening an account at a bank. What he does not show is that there was a criminal background check including photo ID check and an FBI background check. Then, to get the gun, he had to open a 10 year Certificate of Deposit... basically he had to deposit nearly $1000 before he could get the gun, not the smartest idea compared to just buying the gun if that's the only intent. Even then, when Moore gets his gun and asks about the safety of handing out guns in the bank, the audience is duped into forgetting a large portion of Moore's bank safety joke: the bank doesn't supply the ammunition!
You even have his little cartoon where he tries to link the NRA to the KKK, never mind that him saying the NRA was formed the same year that the KKK was declared an illegal organization is completely wrong... never mind that the NRA was actually formed by Northern Yankee's who fought AGAINST slavery and was primarily created in reaction to Southern laws that would ban blacks from owning firearms (the exact opposite of Moore's suggestion the NRA wanted to suppress blacks and leave them defenceless)... never mind that the cartoon is a South Park rip-off, presented after an interview with South Park creator Matt Stone in order to make it seem like the cartoon was made by the creators of South Park. I mean, no wonder Matt Stone hates Moore and made him a target of insults in his "Team America: World Police" movie. Talk about complete deception from every angle.
What's worse is that he is even hypocritical in how he talks about America's culture of fear and how the media tries to instill fear in the population, and yet BFC is exactly that: a film that presents facts in a way to create fear. Probably the best refutation of BFC is an in-depth article by Dave Kopel called "Bowling Truths" that literally shreds BFC from beginning to end, showing it to be -- as he puts it -- more of a 'mockumentary' in the vein of "This is Spinal Tap" than a serious documentary outlining anything close to reality.
In terms of gun control issues, if you want a really intelligent look at the problems of gun control, check out the episode of Penn & Teller's Bullsh*t on gun control. Now THAT is an intelligent and more importantly an HONEST delving into gun control. But if you are looking for facts and honesty in subject matter, you couldn't find a worse choice than BFC.
BFC is insulting to anybody who would be willing to take the time and find out exactly how honest Moore is. If you think BFC is truthful and honest, go read Kopel's article (readily available on the net) and you'll see how much Moore stretches the truth. I mean, even the film's title is deceptive since -- as even the preliminary police report states -- the two shooters at Columbine never showed up for bowling that morning!
(And by the way, people in Canada do lock their doors. I have to wonder how many doors he had to try in order to get his shots of every door being open.)
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Riveting Documentary, Jan 26 2005
Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine" is a riveting and electrifying documentary. Focusing on gun control (although topics also range from American history to violence in the media), it's powerful and often hilarious. Moore makes an engaging on-screen host, and the little vignettes he strings together are often hilarious, such as the history cartoon and the interview with the guy linked to the Oklahoma city bombing. Other scenes are truly powerhouse filmmaking, like the Columbine surveillance footage and the unforgettable showdown with Charlton Heston. The film is weighed down a bit by Moore's tweaking of the truth (like in the staged opening scene and the tricky editing of Heston's NRA speeches) and his occasionally insane arguments (like linking Dick Clarke to a school shooting), but overall, it's memorable and worth seeing.
On DVD, the film is in an aspect ratio of roughly 1.85:1. Being a documentary with much footage taken from news shows, the image quality varies, and is sometimes quite grainy. It looks and sounds as good as it should. Of the abundant extras, the most worthwhile is Moore's fifteen-minute defense of his famous Oscar acceptance speech ("Shame on you, Mr. Bush!"). There is a lot of interview footage with Moore at various film festivals and on various shows to a point at which there's almost too much Moore. A commentary with some of his interns (I listened to a bit of it; not informative, but funny and spontaneous) and a Marilyn Manson music video are also worth noting.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Gotcha thinking, didn't he???, Oct 5 2004
Many folks seem so tied up by this movie, but I think they missed the point. Moore is an artist, and I say that without revealing whether I agree or disagree with him. His aim is to stir up thought and promote discourse and judging by the fact that there are an amazing 794 reviews on Amazon for this movie, I suspect he's done a damn fine job. Watch this movie. Your brain will get a little exercise and you'll end up engaging in an Olympic-scale debate if you go out for a coffee with friends afterward. Despite the naysayers, Moore doesn't present only one side. He lets others speak for themselves and, if they don't come off too well, that's probably because they aren't all that bright. You might just learn a little something by watching this one. For example, as strange as it sounds, you might find Marilyn Manson and the creators of South Park to be more thoughtful and in touch than Charlton Heston or Dick Clark. This movie has a way of making you reconsider traditionally accepted mores and behaviour. It offers a different explanation for many of our youth's social ills and it seems to be tapped into their consciousness better than most movies or books. Whether you agree or not, your brain will get the sort of kickstart not available from most movies and tv... and that's a very good quality in a movie.
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