Bowling for Columbine

26 December, 2002 8:50 PM

Saw this frighteningly funny film this lazy Boxing Day. What an amazing journey Michael Moore takes the viewer on as he wittily examines the American love affair with firearms. A number of scenes left me chilled to the bone.

- a clever collage of five or so decades of US (CIA) involvement in in a variety of rising and falling of governments and dictatorships around the globe, complete with graphic and violent imagery juxtaposed with Louis Armstrongs' What a wonderful world'. Go here for a text version of the info.

- interview with NRA spokesperson, Charlton Heston, making allusions to the US's ethnic diversity as being a contributing factor to the over 11,000 gun related killings per year.

- in stark contrast to Heston's inverview - insightful comments from shock rocker Marilyn Manson. His comments on 'Fear and Consumption' hit me hard. He talked of being made a scapegoat after the Columbine high school shootings and asked the question whether maybe the blame rested upon a the violent actions of the US government in Kosavo at the time.

- the skewed portrayal of black males in the media.

In particularly I've found myself thinking on the theme of FEAR this afternoon. The past year has been one in which I've noticed a marked rise in levels of Fear in this country and across the Western world. Moore challenges us to think about the roots of this fear and points the finger at the media and those in power as using fear for their own good. He also shows some of the results of fear and leaves the movie gazer wanting to do something about it.

This graphic and moving documentary has no doubt caused a few waves and will have sparked many conversations. I'd highly recommend a look. Interested to hear the comments of others who have seen it?

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