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July 30, 2004 Michael Moore will never be confused with the likes of Alfred Hitchcock or Stanley Kubrick in terms of filmmaking prowess. But with Fahrenheit 9/11, he has shown that technique can be much less influential than topic. Regardless of how much money he makes on it, Moore has already succeeded in his primary objectives—to get people talking about one of the greatest tragedies in American history and take some shots at President Bush in the process. Some conservative commentators here and elsewhere have criticized Moore for playing fast and loose with the facts and for their portrayal of Bush as a inept leader relying on Saudi oil money and possibly linked to a trans-Afghan oil pipeline. While it is absolutely ludicrous to try and pin all the responsibility of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the Bush Administration, it has made me wonder why: 1) President Bush wasn’t immediately evacuated from that Florida school when he was told of the first aircraft strike on the World Trade Center. Reading a children’s story would not have been my first priority at that point; getting in touch with NORAD would have been. 2) Considering that fifteen of the nineteen hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, AND knowing that Osama bin Laden has received so much financial support from his countrymen and family, we have yet to fire a single shot at that country. We were detoured from capturing him by going after Saddam Hussein, and it’s highly unlikely we’ll ever take Saudi Arabia to task on the battlefield. Some liberals have hailed Fahrenheit 9/11 as one of the greatest films since Citizen Kane and some of them have taken heat for their support of Moore. But close analysis of the film shows that he doesn’t let Democrats off as lightly as it seems. Consider this: 1) There were three different terrorist attacks during both of President Clinton’s administrations. Although the attacks on the World Trade Center in 1993 and the USS Cole in 2000 were indeed serious, it was the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 that should’ve been a real wakeup call. Although not said implicitly in the movie, the events of September 11 may have been averted had terrorism mitigation taken a higher priority in the Clinton White House. 2) If longtime Michigan congressman John Conyers is to be believed, many Democrats did not take the time to read the Patriot Act, which allows government greater access into our everyday lives for the sake of stopping future terror attacks, or try and oppose sending our troops to fight in Iraq. Just as many voters will hold the Republicans accountable for what’s gone on, they will need to hold the Democrats accountable as well. On a lighter note, I enjoyed hearing Attorney General John Ashcroft’s rendition of his song “Let The Eagle Soar”. It reminded me of hearing Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock of Star Trek fame) cover “Light My Fire”. It wasn’t a bad effort at all, and in the right hands, the song could really stir the patriot in all of us. Think of Whitney Houston singing “The Star- Spangled Banner” before Super Bowl XXV, and you’ll understand what I mean. The best part of the movie, though, was the opening credits and what immediately followed. After watching Bush and some of his key lieutenants primping and preening for the television cameras, I listened in that darkened theater as two sleek passenger jets became lethal missiles, fatally shattering an enormous skyscraper complex and startling our country out of complacency. To hear those crashes, in the dark, chilled me. It was a sobering reminder of everything and everyone that was lost that beautiful Tuesday morning. All in all, Fahrenheit 9/11 wasn’t that bad a movie. It’s not Oscar good, but I’m sure it will get some serious consideration, unless the Academy decides it’s too hot to handle. Sure it was biased, but if Rupert Murdoch were to foot the bill on a similar picture, it wouldn’t be fair and balanced, either. ------------ About the author: Claxton Graham isn't ashamed of being a left- winger, though he's not quite as close to the wingtip as some. He won't be running for political office anytime soon, but he'll be keeping a close eye on things during the 2004 elections. Email: scifiwriter8502@email.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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