Nothing Fair about 9/11

In the film Fahrenheit 9/11, Michael Moore examines the United States in the aftermath of terrorists attacks on September 11, 2001. He shines the spotlight on many of the Bush administrations blunders. He goes about illustrating his ideas in a sarcastic, often snide manner which has generated loads of criticism. He uses edited footage e.g., President Bush continuing to read My Pet Goat for 7 minutes to school children after being told of the attacks, in an attempt to show how foolish or inefficient he is as a president. According to Ellen Goodman of the (Boston Globe) "there were a few too many cheap shots among the direct hits, conspiracy theories among solid facts, and tidbits of propaganda in the documentary. Going for jugular, he sometimes went over the top." She describes common feelings of the film shared in cyberspace. I think that his antics coupled with his film techniques lost the ability, to what I imagine he originally sought out to accomplish, change peoples minds. Ultimately he hoped his film would influence the election, Moore mentioned "this may be the first time a film has this kind of impact," (USA TODAY). Unfortunately for him in 2004 George W. Bush was re-elected.

However Fahrenheit 9/11's impact socially can't be denied. Documentaries let alone political documentaries rarely if ever receive the attention Michael Moore's film did. It only took a week for his film to become the highest grossing documentary of all time (Time.com); that's quite a feat. A buzz was definitely generated by this film. People were engaged and talking. His arguments inspire conversation and may lead some to express their disagreement with foreign policy. Documentary Film (pg 78) He provided a platform that some may have not ceased before viewing Fahrenheit 9/11.