Movie Review

Bowling for Columbine

Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine (which is released this month by in select markets) will expand nationwide to over 700 theaters by late November, making it the widest release ever for a documentary film in the United States.

Moore, the provocateur behind Roger & Me and The Big One, turns his lens to guns and violence in America and the result is a hilarious, depressing, incendiary, and insightful film that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking.
When Bowling for Columbine ended (the title comes from the fact that the two teenage killers at Columbine High School went bowling that morning before they went on their rampage), I immediately wanted to engage Moore in a debate. I agreed with as much of what he presented as I disagreed with him and was frustrated that he offered no answer to the question that dominates the movie: "Why are American people so much more violent than other Western nations, especially Canada? In Canada, gun ownership per capita is on par with that in the U.S. (it's just as easy to buy guns and ammo in Canada as it is here) and in Canada the populace is exposed to the same violent media images, yet death by handguns is much lower per capita than in the U.S. - Why?"

After some reflection, I realized that Moore's film was not supposed to answer the questions he proposes because he is much more interested in making us look beyond the traditional liberal and conservative explanations, and examine our culture and ultimately - ourselves. Traditional liberals decry handgun availability while many conservatives cast blame on the media. Moore wants the audience to look beyond those explanations and really think about the causes of our violent society. Through interviews, news footage, animation, and even his selection of music, Moore's movie guides the audience through an examination of American culture with a special focus on comparing American culture with that of our Northern neighbor.

Moore does a nice job of balancing shocking images and heartbreaking interviews with intentional and unintentional humor. Moore manages to snag on-camera interviews with both Marilyn Manson and NRA president Charlton Heston, a testament to his tenacity and good fortune. Some scenes did feel a little staged to me and every once and a while it seemed to me that Moore stacked the deck in his favor to get the answer or reaction that he wanted, but that's his right as a documentarian, isn't it? Whether or not you agree with all or some of what Moore says, you will never be bored during Bowling for Columbine, and chances are - you will be left thinking about the questions he presents. When was the last time that happened with a major motion picture?

Moore deserves a lot of credit for taking a difficult subject and looking beyond the sound bites, and more importantly for creating an interesting and provocative movie that looks at violence and despair in America. It's the best documentary since Spike Lee's "Three Little Girls" and Moore should be taking home a little gold statue come March for his great film.

Todd's Grade: B+

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