Thursday, August 20, 2009
Michael Moore Loves Capitalism
The full trailer for the latest Michael Moore documentary (and potentially his last), Capitalism: A Love Story, has finally been released.
I've been looking forward to this film for a variety of reasons. Not only do I happen to like the majority of Moore's films (particularly Bowling For Columbine and Roger & Me), but this one focuses on the common theme that runs through all of his work: capitalism.
Now, I'll be the first to admit that Moore's tactics are a bit sensationalistic (how else is one to get mainstream America's attention except through showmanship?) and he clearly is trying to promote an agenda through his films (though technically this is true of all documentaries and filmmaking in general). And yes, there is something hypocritical about a guy who's probably worth quite a bit of money trying to present himself as an Everyman. At the very least, however, I think it's clear that his heart is in the right place. Plus, I usually agree with most of his opinions. Not to mention he has a sense of humor.
To quote Moore:
"It's a crime story. But it's also a war story about class warfare. And a vampire movie, with the upper 1 percent feeding off the rest of us. And, of course, it's also a love story. Only it's about an abusive relationship... It's not about an individual, like [former GM CEO] Roger Smith, or a corporation, or even an issue, like health care. This is the big enchilada. This is about the thing that dominates all our lives — the economy. I made this movie as if it was going to be the last movie I was allowed to make."
I've personally heard Moore state that he views capitalism as an evil system. I'm hoping that this is the film in which he finally explores that issue directly. I've discovered that it is virtually impossible to pursue a degree in sociology and not come away with the conclusion that our economic system is extremely broken, and responsible for a great deal of social ills. Racism, sexism, homophobia, classism... an argument could be made that capitalism is the single largest component in reinforcing these forms of inequality.
Unfortunately, that's a point of view that the mainstream media never wants to explore. And why would they? Both FOX and MSNBC are run by people who benefit greatly from the system as it stands now. Regardless of the quality of the film, if Moore succeeds in getting mainstream theaters to show a film with an anti-capitalist stance, and persuades mainstream audiences to go see it... that in itself is a victory.
I've been looking forward to this film for a variety of reasons. Not only do I happen to like the majority of Moore's films (particularly Bowling For Columbine and Roger & Me), but this one focuses on the common theme that runs through all of his work: capitalism.
Now, I'll be the first to admit that Moore's tactics are a bit sensationalistic (how else is one to get mainstream America's attention except through showmanship?) and he clearly is trying to promote an agenda through his films (though technically this is true of all documentaries and filmmaking in general). And yes, there is something hypocritical about a guy who's probably worth quite a bit of money trying to present himself as an Everyman. At the very least, however, I think it's clear that his heart is in the right place. Plus, I usually agree with most of his opinions. Not to mention he has a sense of humor.
To quote Moore:
"It's a crime story. But it's also a war story about class warfare. And a vampire movie, with the upper 1 percent feeding off the rest of us. And, of course, it's also a love story. Only it's about an abusive relationship... It's not about an individual, like [former GM CEO] Roger Smith, or a corporation, or even an issue, like health care. This is the big enchilada. This is about the thing that dominates all our lives — the economy. I made this movie as if it was going to be the last movie I was allowed to make."
I've personally heard Moore state that he views capitalism as an evil system. I'm hoping that this is the film in which he finally explores that issue directly. I've discovered that it is virtually impossible to pursue a degree in sociology and not come away with the conclusion that our economic system is extremely broken, and responsible for a great deal of social ills. Racism, sexism, homophobia, classism... an argument could be made that capitalism is the single largest component in reinforcing these forms of inequality.
Unfortunately, that's a point of view that the mainstream media never wants to explore. And why would they? Both FOX and MSNBC are run by people who benefit greatly from the system as it stands now. Regardless of the quality of the film, if Moore succeeds in getting mainstream theaters to show a film with an anti-capitalist stance, and persuades mainstream audiences to go see it... that in itself is a victory.
# posted by Andrew Johnson : 8/20/2009 05:26:00 PM 
