Review of Bowling for Columbine (2002) by Riren — 31 Jan 2007

Bowling For Columbine is an example of a sad and increasingly popular trend in documentary: to no longer inform, but to program. Like most sensationalist works, it goes for the emotional reaction instead of the logical.

It's very good at stirring up a cloud of feelings whenever it's logic is weak and might be criticized by a thinking audience. It preys on factual confusion and cynicism to paint an anti-patriotic picture, something done much more thoroughly and intelligently in other mediums such as the books of Noam Chomsky.

But where you could argue with Chomsky's writing, Moore's theatrics are unrelenting - rather than let you disagree, he will coyly pretend he wasn't making that point, throw something at you so that you are too uncomfortable to respond, and change the subject so that you won't have the chance to think things through.

Moore has made a great contribution to turning documentary into the next great form of propaganda. The only thing he has to be proud of is how many millions of dollars he has duped audiences out of in doing it.

Please, if you want to educate yourself on the great problems facing modern society, read a book. Leave this documentary to the liberals who, like a quire, relish in being preached at my their own congregation.