Posted on 05/17/2004 5:15:02 AM PDT by GulliverSwift
CANNES, France (Reuters) - American film-maker Michael Moore (news)'s "Fahrenheit 9/11," a savage critique of President Bush (news - web sites)'s handling of Iraq (news - web sites) and the war on terror, was warmly applauded by critics at its first press showing on Monday.
The fast-paced film by Oscar-winning Moore is a telling work of propaganda by a moviemaker whose zeal to deride Bush exudes from every frame.
Two years ago, the director's anti-gun lobby documentary "Bowling for Columbine" grabbed the headlines at Cannes and then went on to gross $120 million worldwide and win him an Oscar.
Fahrenheit 9/11 has already whipped up an international media storm after the Walt Disney Co barred its Miramax film unit from releasing such a politically polarizing work in a U.S. election year.
The film focuses on how Americans and the White House responded to the Sept. 11, 2001 hijacking attacks and traces links between the Bush family and prominent Saudis, including the family of Osama bin Laden (news - web sites).
The screen goes dark. The sound is of planes crashing into the Twin Towers before the grief of the victims is contrasted with Bush sitting, apparently impassively, in a Florida schoolroom for nine minutes after the news was broken to him.
Moore uses a pop soundtrack to mocking effect.
As shots are shown of members of the bin Laden family being hastily flown out of the United States after September 11, up surges the song: "I gotta get out of this place."
He shows gum-chewing pop star Britney Spears (news) supporting the president. Outside the White House, a woman doubles up in grief, sobbing uncontrollably over the death of her son in Iraq.
In the light of the current controversy over pictures of Iraqi prisoners being abused, the film is bang up-to-date, showing film of American soldiers mocking the dead and posing with hooded Iraqi detainees.
Sarcastic humor abounds. Moore even shows a clip of Bush shouting at him: "Behave yourself will you. Go find real work."
In Washington, Moore goes on a bizarre recruiting drive.
He stops Congressmen in the street and asks "There's not that many Congressmen that have got kids over there (in Iraq) ... in fact only one. Maybe you guys should send your kids there first."
"What do you think about that idea?" he asks before getting the brush-off.
From the front-room of a grieving family, he switches to big businesses looking for contracts in Iraq.
An executive working for an armored vehicles company tells him: "Unfortunately, at least for the near term, we think it is going to be a good situation ... good for business, bad for the people."
But the film is most effective when focusing on raw emotion.
The camera pans in on a grieving mother, her voice cracking as she reads out the last letter she received from her son before he was killed in Iraq.
Telling how she collapsed on hearing the news over the phone, she said: "Your flesh just aches. You're just not supposed to bury your own son."
"As shots are shown of members of the bin Laden family being hastily flown out of the United States after September 11, up surges the song: "I gotta get out of this place."
Anyone know how this keeps coming up? The morning local DJ's keep talking about this as if it is fact, yet I have never seen an actual report of the facts.......
HOLLYWARPED'S TEN COMMANDMENTS
Christians are evil.
Woman are to be valued for their cleavage.
The traditional family is archaic, constricting, with no redeeming value.
We make films that preach morality. Hollyarped morality.
Extreme movie violence and explicit sex for the thrill of it is good.
Being racist, intolerant and uncompassionate is a mortal sin.
Parents that try to guide their children's choices are restrictive. Kids need to be "free".
A fully fornicating society is our goal.
The ACLU is good b/c they defend Constitutional rights; the NRA is bad b/c they defend the Constitution.
We worship abortion and condoms are the key to happiness.
Yep, that describes him perfectly. It's good to know he wrote a book about himself!
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