For the first time in the history of the Cannes Film Festival, a special Jury Prize award was given for the first time for a documentary. Never before has a documentary been awarded at Cannes, yet the judges felt that the documentary that they saw was extraordinary and deserved to be recognized. The documentary is the latest documentary directed by Crusader Michael Moore titled BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE. Either you love Michael Moore or you hate him, just like Radio Shock Jock Howard Stern, you either love him or hate him. A lot of people that I know feel that Michael Moore is too liberal and ignore anything he says or prints. Yet, everyone does agree that Moore does make excellent points in supporting his viewpoints and ideas. Moore has directed documentaries in the past that would go after General Motors, and successful corporations like Nike. In BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE Moore explores the National Riffle Association (NRA), NRA president Charlton Heston and the second Amendment in the Constitiution "the right to bare arms." The opening scene, which is quite funny has Moore apply for a bank account. After opening up an account at the bank, he receives a free gun! Moore brings up a excellent question asking the bank manager, "aren't you a little afraid to be handing out guns at a bank?" Then Moore is shown at a barber shop getting a haircut while the barbershop also sells bullets. Moore explains in BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE how April 20, 1999 began as a ordinary day. It wasn't until after eleven o' clock in Littleton Colorado that the world for schools and teenagers changed forever with the Columbine High School masscare. Moore has the cameras go down the halls of Columbine High School, showing the viewer that it is no different than any of the other thousands of American High Schools. Yet on the soundtrack, is the 911 emergency call audio tapes being played having the sounds of people crying and in panic over the tragic incident. Then some of the most horrorific scenes ever seen on film is shown as the actual video tape cameras in Columbine show the April 20th incident. The picture shows the cafeteria of studnets sitting around only to be shown hiding underneath the tables, then franticly running out of the school. Later showing the two students responsible for the shooting carrying guns and throwing explosives. While the 911 recording of one the shooter's fathers worried that his son might be involved with the shooting. BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE is one of the most powerful films that I have ever seen. Some might seen it as liberal propaganda, but people need to look closer to what this film is really about. Moore shows that other countries around the world have just as many, if not more guns than the people of the U.S. Yet the U.S. has 11,000 gun related homicides a year comparing to 38 in Japan and the 67 in England. Moore asks the question why are there so many gun related murders in America. Moore then asks those questions to several people as well as the questions about the Oklahoma City Bombings and militia life to James Nichols (brother of convicted terrorist Terry Nichols). I loved the answer James Nichols gives after Michael Moore states: "the Constitution states the right to 'bare arms' nuclear missiles are arms also, should citizens have those as well? "No, there are crazy people out there!" Nichols replies. Moore also talks about the Columbine Shooting incident to SOUTH PARK co-creator and former Columbine High student Matt Stone. The influence of Heavy Metal music related to the Columbine shooting to Marilyn Manson (who gives perhaps the best and most intelligent answers in the entire film). And asks Charlton Heston himself on why does he always appear in town for a NRA meeting after a tragic incident. Heston appeared in Columbine less than a week after the incident, in Flint Michigan (Moore's hometown) a few days after a six year old boy killed his classmate, and Heston was even in Tucson last week a few days after the tragedy at the University of Arizona. BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE has both very hysterical and very emotional scenes in the film with Moore making his point about the issues of gun control in the United States. I saw the movie twice already in the conservitive city of Phoenix (Scottsdale to be exact) and after both showings I was pleased to hear and see that the film got a round of applause and a standing ovation from the 500+ audience. I never seen that done for a movie, from the both times that I saw it. I will tell people that you can agree or disagree with Michael Moore and his viewpoints about the NRA and gun laws. But this movie must be seen for the issues that are discussed, to see how celebrities like Charlton Heston, Dick Clark, Marilyn Manson, and Matt Stone are really revealed, and what the news media likes to put on the news everynight. Thinking about it, the last four years, the biggest news stories two of the four years delt with guns: the Columbine incident and the Washington D.C. sniper shootings. What message does that send the rest of the world about America? I'm not going to get anymore into it or discuss politics. But I will tell you to see this movie, when you are a gun lover or hate the sight of guns. This is one of the most thought provoking movies that I have ever seen, and Michael Moore should get a Oscar for Best Documentary for this classic! Cannes is already intelligent enough to recognize it, the Academy should also. Don't miss it! ***** (out of five)
Review of Bowling for Columbine
