Fahrenheit 411
OK, just saw it. I don’t have loads of time right now, but a few first impressions. It seemed long, and full of every theme and idea that Moore could cram into it. As propaganda, it might have been more effective to keep the argument crisp and simple, so that you go charging out of the theatre outraged and ready to throw the bums out. As it is, the accumulation of tragedy and betrayal left me feeling sad – more bitter at the lost opportunity and waste than enraged. As we were leaving the theatre, one of my companions noted that right-wing propaganda, while false, at least aims to leave you feeling fired up rather than depressed. There’s something to that.
In terms of the moviemaking, many scenes were staggering in their emotional effect, and a few of the political revelations were new to me. But there were also parts that felt manipulative, obvious, hokey, strident or simply too esoteric to be of much interest outside a very small circle of hard-core lefties: fuel for those who consider Moore undisciplined and self-indulgent. Apparently the New York Times fact-checked him and found no obvious falsehoods, which is encouraging, although there is a great deal of bias in the presentation and selective use of narratives. That is of course Moore’s prerogative: the film has his name on it and rightly represents his point of view.
To me, the most depressing thing about F911 is that it is considered an act of courage by a radical filmmaker to state the obvious truths that Moore sprays at us for two highly-concentrated hours. Bush fumbled badly in the hours following the attacks. He is a lightweight, ill-prepared for the burdens of office, and deeply compromised by long-standing family connections to Saudi Arabia, the Bin Laden family and the energy industry. War is more than fireworks, and the lives of thousands of brave young Americans, mostly from modest backgrounds, are being sacrificed on the altar of greed and duplicity, while a few well-connected corporations make out like bandits. All of this is in the public record, and it seems to me the work of mainstream professional journalists to present these facts to the American public. Since they wouldn’t, it falls to Moore, an imperfect vessel to be sure, to deliver the goods.
There’s a lot of truth in F911 and a lot of genuine ugliness. I guess it’s considered “anti-American” to ask Americans to consider the consequences of their actions, and actions performed in their name. We can look down the scopes of radar-guided bombs as they close in on their target, but please don’t point the camera at the soldier’s amputated leg or the terrified Iraqi man being taken from his home by US soldier in the middle of the night. It’s clearly unpatriotic to ask embarrassing questions of our sainted leaders, or point out holes in the noble narrative of good, evil, sacrifice and triumph our government seems to feel we need to keep our resolve in the “war on terror.” Most of all, it’s terribly pessimistic to expect our democracy to actually live up to its ideals at the moment when we’re making a public spectacle of our virtue and strength.
Moore presents his critics on the right with a big target, and Fahrenheit 911 is not likely to win him a column on the Wall Street Journal editorial page. But for all his quirks, pretensions and imperfections as a journalist and historian, he is excellent at his craft, and, by his willingness (exuberance, even) to put his money where his mouth is, has become the indispensable man at this critical moment for our country. Love him, hate him, agree with him or fume with outrage, at least take the time to consider F911, the irreducible power of a few of the scenes and images, and what it says about our the sickness of our society that we need a cure this strong.
6:30:28 PM 
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