From Ivana Redwine,
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Michael Moore’s Op-Ed Piece on the George W. Bush Administration

Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) is a feature-length film that expresses Michael Moore’s highly opinionated view of the George W. Bush administration and the Iraq War. The movie received the Palme d'Or at Cannes, and it was a huge hit at the box office. Now Fahrenheit 9/11 has been released on DVD exactly four weeks prior to the day American voters are to choose whether or not to reelect Bush for another four-year term as President.

Moore Spins Everything

In the movie, Moore gives his own idiosyncratic interpretation of events from the November, 2000, Bush-Gore election through the early part of the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq. I am not a politically oriented person, and I don’t claim to be qualified to assess the accuracy of Moore’s representations in Fahrenheit 9/11. All I can do is give my personal reactions to the film.

I found Fahrenheit 9/11 to be thought-provoking, emotionally involving, and remarkably entertaining. Of course, Moore spins everything, but this is acceptable to me: I think his point of view is worth considering as a counterforce to the spin put out by Bush administration apologists.

Ordinary Folks vs. Privileged Elite

It looks to me as though Moore views American politics through the lens of populism, and he wants to be seen as championing the rights and power of ordinary people in their struggle against the privileged elite. I believe his overarching strategy for Fahrenheit 9/11 was to present a sequence of images, words, and music calculated to persuade ordinary Americans that George W. Bush is an impediment to them in that struggle. In the movie, Moore shows Bush at a fundraiser saying, "This is an impressive crowd—the haves and the have-mores. [laughter] Some people call you the elite. I call you my base. [laughter] [applause]"

Moore spends quite a bit of time in the film describing links between the Bush family and the Saudi elite. I found this material very interesting, although I’m not entirely sure what Moore’s point is. I'm guessing he was trying to plant the notion that George W. Bush might be closer to the Saudi elite than he is to the average American.

An Unforgettable Woman From Flint

For me, the most unforgettable thing about Fahrenheit 9/11 is a Flint, Michigan, woman named Lila Lipscomb. I believe she is the embodiment of what Moore wants us to think of as the ordinary American. She and her family come across as very pro-military, but after her son was killed at Karbala, she began to question the purpose of the Iraq War. There’s a memorable scene where Lipscomb visits D.C. and talks with a pacifist demonstrator outside the White House. An aristocratic-looking woman appears and declares, "This is all staged." Lipscomb testily explains about her son's death, and I cringed when I heard the woman’s voice yelling after her as she walks away, "Blame al Qaeda."

Moore Can Be Funny

But despite having moments of deep sadness, Fahrenheit 9/11 isn’t downbeat overall, and I have to say I think Moore has the best sense of humor of any polemicist I can think of. My favorite example of it in the movie occurs when he presents the intro to a faux television series titled Afghanistan, which opens with four horsemen riding up wearing western attire. With the theme from The Magnificent Seven playing, the stars of the show are introduced: George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, and Tony Blair.

Problematic Agitprop

As much as I liked Fahrenheit 9/11, I think it is problematic in a number of ways. In my opinion, the most significant criticism of the film is that Moore ignores the repression and aggression of the Saddam Hussein regime. Also, I believe the movie is misleading in several places, and I encourage interested readers to peruse the detailed discussions of these that are readily available on the Web.

Fahrenheit 9/11 is a blatant attempt to influence public opinion for political ends, and I would characterize it as agitprop. But I would also say that I think it represents very good filmmaking and offers a worthwhile perspective on the Bush administration.

DVD Details

The Fahrenheit 9/11 DVD provides quite a few special features, which are a plus, but the DVD is worth renting or buying for the feature film alone. On the next page, I've listed full DVD details.

On the next page, I've listed the details for the Fahrenheit 9/11DVD.