The Flat Hat: 'Fahrenheit 9/11' ignites war on Bush

The Flat Hat"Fahrenheit 9/11": the temperature at which political tempers boil over. It is almost inevitable that the moment one walks out of that theatre, one is going to feel pretty passionate about it. Whether one judges it to be a shameless propaganda-filled diatribe against our President, a brilliant polemic describing the problems of the past four years, or somewhere in between, all depends on where one stands on the political spectrum. Yet regardless of one's political affiliations (or lack thereof), there is no doubt that this is one of the most divisive films in the history of movie-making, and for that reason, it can be labeled an indisputable success.

Michael Moore, who also directed such polarizing films as "Roger & Me" and "Bowling for Columbine," has said that he created "Fahrenheit 9/11" as a justification for his 2003 Oscar acceptance speech, in which he proclaimed (over the rabble of both boos and cheers), "Shame on You! Shame on You! Shame on You!" following President Bush's declaration of war on Iraq.

That, in essence, is exactly what this film is _-- a shaming of the administration, only this time with evidence. Even with the evidence, however, Moore's technique has managed to create further controversy than the Oscar acceptance speech (if that were even possible). He continuously pushes the buttons no one else wants to push and continues an in-your-face film style (as with the Charlton Heston interview in "Bowling").

By Scott Hoffman
The Flat Hat