Much controversy is swirling around about the film Fahrenheit 9/11, most of it true. It is interesting that two very rich filmmakers have released two very successful films by making themselves into martyrs, fanning the flames of controversy and releasing their films independently. I would love to see how much money Mel Gibson and Michael Moore finally pocket from the controversies their films have benefited from. I hope they are giving a lot of the money to charity.
I am not going to give a full-fledged review of this film. I will leave that to my friend Jeff Gentry, Slate magazine and USA Today which has comprehensive coverage. Decide for yourself. But, if you are a fan of good filmmaking, go see it. Moore is a master editor. In fact, I think an Oscar nomination should be given for the editing of this film. It is the very thing that disturbs many about the film, but is a work of undeniable talent.
If you are a fan of Limbaugh (my favorite addicted guy who makes fun of addicts), Hannity (does he ever let anyone finish a sentence), O'Reilly (I actually like this guy- I know), Savage (a horribly nasty man) or Scarborough (strangely appealing and bothersome at once) go see this film for yourself instead of listening to them go on and on. These guys are jealous because here is a guy cut from the same cloth as they are. He is an entertainer, pundit, egotistical know-it-all, opinionated guy with a loud mouth and big stick. However, he is also more talented than all of them combined (it is why it takes all of them to team up against him). This is not an indictment of the right, as much an indictment of radio-guys vs. filmmakers.
If people should not see this movie, then they should not listen to talk radio or watch these guys on Fox News. However, for open-minded people who have a sense of humor and can think for themselves, I recommend watching the "documentary" and dealing with the facts and not-quite-facts it presents (then do a little research for yourself). This movie does not lie any more than our present or past administrations (yes, Clinton and Bush both lie- Clinton just had a better grasp of the English language when he lied and Bush actually sounds sincere).
None of these people is presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, all of them give us the opportunity to see the messages they are sending and how each stacks up to the Gospel.
2 comments:
as long as we're passing the buck, i'll let Plugged In's review speak for me. i also found their review of dodgeball quite funny, um, i mean, insightful.
in all seriousness, slate's review is the best i've seen. hitchens says (and yes...at times overstates) everything that needs to be said.
Rick, you need to see this... www.christianexodus.org
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