At the Movies: Woes of a president and a fishing village

At the Movies: Woes of a president and a fishing village: "Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 is his best documentary to date, as funny as it is angry, a well-aimed shot at the dishonesty behind the invasion of Iraq and the Bush hijacking of post-9/11 patriotism. Moore doesn't pretend to be nonpartisan and doesn't aim at philosophical depth but he and his associates have dug up footage that mocks the pieties of the current administration and have edited it for maximum effect.

“Fahrenheit’s” Bush is not seen as sinister; he’s just a wind-up doll.

Even the best documentary has a point of view; the director doesn’t simply turn on the camera and allow reality to unfold. “Fahrenheit 9/11” is an old-fashioned broadside in a venerable American tradition. It’s certainly “slanted” to show images of a bucolic pre-war Baghdad followed by graphic footage of women and children victims of American “precision bombing.” Fortunately, Moore knows how to make his “bias” amusing by connecting his targets with stilted images, cleverly chosen clips from old movies. He doesn’t offer a sustained logical argument for his position, but is hugely successful in making the Bush administration look ridiculous. Everyone should see “Fahrenheit 9/11” and confront the disturbing questions the film raises about this administration’s four years in office."

By JOSEPH CUNNEEN
National Catholic Reporter