The goal of any filmmaker is to get the people talking. And that certainly is what Michael Moore has done with his documentary, Fahrenheit 9-11. It is a movie that has provoked, delighted, and divided many of its viewers. Some will see it as propaganda, and some will see it as travesty. But, at the end of the day, whether you like or dislike Michael Moore, you cannot deny that this movie raises questions and promotes discussion.
Questions like why have we never seen the footage of George W. sitting and reading “My Pet Goat†while his country was under attack? Why didn’t the press shed light on Ashcroft saying he was “tired of hearing about terrorism warnings†prior to September 11th? Why didn’t we know about the Bin Laden family being allowed to fly out of the US on Sept. 13th? Why did we not know about the African-American members of the House of Representatives parading before the Senate, who were not recognized because no Senators would sign their petitions?
Obviously, this film is completely biased. It’s not the last word on Bush or the war in Iraq. It’s Michael Moore’s word. He is obviously angered by Bush and his laissez-faire attitude prior to 9/11….the golfing, the fishing, the vacationing 40% of the time …and angered by the idea that oil money and politics drove the war in Iraq, and that the fear that Bush instilled in the nation was false….and angered by the money-driven web that entangles Bush, Dick Chaney, Saudi Arabia and Haliburton.
For Moore, this is exquisite payback for a moment when he and Bush came face-to-face for the first and only time. “Behave yourself, will you?†sneered Bush. “Go find real work.†And so much of this film is Moore’s sarcastic reply. For us, it’s a movie that we can laugh with (when Bush warns the people to be afraid, be very afraid…and then in the same breath says, “Now, watch this drive!”) and cry with (when Moore introduces us to Lila, the mother who lost her son in Iraq). And whether we agree with his views or not, Fahrenheit 9-11 is incredible piece of filmmaking.
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