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Fahrenheit 9/11 - Dan's take

2004-07-10 16:41:54.401561+00 by Dan Lyke 4 comments

So after our thread of speculation about the movie, Charlene and I finally got out to see Fahrenheit 9/11[Wiki] yestderday evening. My first reaction on walking out of the theater was that it was a more powerful movie than I thought it was going to be, but after a bit of discussion and the distance of a good night's sleep, I've gotta say I'm somewhat disappointed.

I didn't expect any new information. In fact on that front the movie seemed rather light. The most powerful part for me during the movie was seeing the rehab hospital, yet with a little distance I realized that there was no indication of how many soldiers were ending up there, and so (while I'm fairly sure there are a lot) I fee like I've been manipulated.

The images of our leaders partying with the bin Lad(e|i)ns were interesting to see, but it would have been cooler if there'd been a little more of the tie-together that Dubya is closer to the leaders of al Qaeda than Saddam Hussein ever was. Alas, it seems like Moore once again gets bogged down in some of the easy shots without digging deeper.

So you should see it, because it's a cultural landmark and a good reference point going into the election no matter what your politics, but it's not going to change the world.

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comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment Re: made: 2004-07-10 18:35:33.831114+00 by: Scho

"Fahrenheit" On The Brain: Who cares if Moore's flick is flawed, shameless propaganda? At least it makes America think: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/...chive/2004/07/07/notes070704.DTL

#Comment Re: made: 2004-07-20 02:56:15.523992+00 by: Dan Lyke

Over at Backup Brain, Tom recommended a visit to John Varley's website, specifically Varley's take on Fahrenheith 9/11, in which he talks about Michael Moore being the Rush Limbaugh[Wiki] of the left (including exaggerations and outright lies, just like Limbaugh), and how that makes us uncomfortable, and then he says:

It’s time, my brothers and sisters. It is time to invite these people out through the screen door to the parking lot in back of the American Bar & Grill and kick them in the nuts while they’re taking off their jackets. It’s time to knee them in the face as they bend over, karate chop the backs of their necks as they’re doing down, and grind their faces into the gravel and crushed beer cans and chewed up Bull Durham. It’s time to throw them against the sides of their pickup trucks until they stop moving. Then it’s time to exorcise the masters of war, drag them out into the sunlight to wither and desiccate, bury the ashes at a crossroads under a full moon, sow the ground with salt, and stand over their graves till we’re sure that they’re dead. And piss on the headstones when we are sure.

Well worth a read.

#Comment Re: made: 2007-05-31 17:23:45.616081+00 by: John Anderson

Dan, I'm looking at some old comments (for unrelated technical reasons that I should shoot you a direct mail about...), and I was struck by this post, and wondered if you still felt the same way about the film, particularly about the rehab hospital part.

It's been awhile since I've seen the film myself; it might be time to dust off the DVD and see how it's held up...

#Comment Re: made: 2007-05-31 19:05:26.101684+00 by: Dan Lyke

I've actually pretty much forgotten about the film.

If anything now I'm more disturbed that the rehab hospital went for propaganda rather than for a big picture, because that allowed me to pass it off as hyperbole. Hell, I still don't know what the real situation is, I find that there are roughly 15k troops who've been wounded who haven't returned to active duty within 72 hours, but are the guys with missing legs a few tens? Or thousands?

And how does that compare to automobile accidents among similar demographics?