Documentary - Fahrenheit 9/11

Steve Taylor-Bryant with his thoughts on Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11...

This is an incendiary documentary, even more so with its release so quickly after the terrorism attack that shocked the world. But it is these types of film that are the most the important, the most vital to a society’s health, the thought provoking, argumentative ones, that don’t care what your politics are, it just wants you to stop and look at what’s around you. Michael Moore argues many points in this documentary and, if you have the special edition DVD, then you have about four more hours of argument than the cinematic release but essentially it is about these salient points...

1. Embarrassed that they haven’t captured Osama Bin Laden and with their own personal ties to the wealthy Saudi Bin Laden family about to come under scrutiny, President George W. Bush starts the war on terror, the WMD nonsense and the invasion of Iraq to divert attention elsewhere.

2. George W. Bush, his cohorts and Fox News fixed the 2000 Election for him to become President. His cousin John Ellis was the journalist from Fox that called it for Bush when every other network was going the other way.

3. That George W. Bush was a Presidential rabbit in the headlights in the aftermath of the Twin Towers atrocity. More on this later!

And

4. Homeland Security was created to keep the United States, living in fear and backing Bush's military campaigns and torture of civilians.

Let's start with a couple of facts. Michael Moore is a dyed in the wool liberal and quite proud of the fact. No one on the Republican Right was given fair retort on screen. This is definitely a one sided argument but, even as a slightly conservative man myself, my eyes were opened and I started to question what all our governments were up to amidst the panic of attack.

Moore is an exceptional film maker. His ability to stir emotions is a gift and, with clever montages and voice over, by the time Moore becomes visible a long time into the film, even the most staunch Republican would surely be aligned with him and not that lazy useless President. Bush on constant holiday, enjoying himself whilst the world burns, the links to big oil and weapons manufacturing, the relationships with the construction companies tasked with rebuilding Iraq leave no doubt in the mind the President is not to be trusted.

Yes it is one sided and, except for a small segment with Tony Blair looking all gooey eyed at Bush, there is no mention of the UK and Europe’s involvement in the WMD invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan but, when no one wants to come out and argue the points with Moore, you cant help but warm to his opinions.

The most harrowing part of the whole film is the 9/11 attacks themselves. Every television in the world has seen the footage of the planes hitting the buildings, so what Moore does is exceptionally clever. He removes all footage. You are left sitting in front of black screens. Just the audio of the atrocity. Screams and sirens are all you hear, and it is actually sickening to go through it all again with only sound.

When the picture emerges it is of a President. Sitting in a classroom. Despite being informed. Reading My Little Goat. The most poignant scene of any movie ever.

Images - Amazon.