Capitalism a Love Story - Sink or Swim...or Buoy?  
| Michael Moore is a good filmmaker. His films, however controversial and dividing, are always intriguing. He finds relevant and hard hitting issues to tackle, many of which effect him personally. I believe that Capitalism: A Love Story is one of his most personal yet and is the one most likely to hit more people on an emotional level. My jaw dropped a few times watching this film.
Capitalism: A Love Story is a culmination of Michael's work. 20 years ago he made Roger & Me, a documentary focusing on GM and its CEO Roger Smith and the collapse of the auto industry in his home town of Flint, Michigan. Now look at the world. The film focuses on what Capitalism has become and how it has effected America - and the rest of the world. There are some really interesting points and some disturbing truths revealed during this movie. Like the beginning of the movies says, if you have impressionable kids with you, you may want to take them away.
I have to get this out of the way first. It seems to be the same thing every time Michael releases a documentary. His films may seem a little one sided at times, but Michael is just presenting the facts. You don't see anyone rebutting what Michael presents with a film of their own because they know he is right. I for one would love to see or hear these corporations tell there side of the story and answer for some of these accusations; or to hear the insurance companies from Sicko explain their situation. All they can say is that it's "business" and they are only trying to make money. Bullshit. A film rebutting Micheal's would likely be frustrating to watch, but very interesting nonetheless.
Some of the parts that stuck out to me were the "dead peasants" (mindblowing I tell you), the Franklin Roosevelt era and something a small town Sheriff said (more on that later). These "dead peasants" were probably the most disturbing part of the movie. I don't want to say exactly what it was, but it was pretty harsh. Franklin Roosevelt had a vision and that vision, for whatever reason, never saw the light of day. What an unfortunate loss. Again, you have to see the film to get it.
The Sheriff comment. He was sick of the all these people losing their homes to foreclosure and in the car one day he said something along the lines of this - "I thought that free enterprise was a sink or swim system..." He is so right. Capitalism is about making it or not; you either sink or swim. So why then, are these large banks being buoyed by the American Government? It's a damn joke if you ask me. I could go on and on about the many facts presented in this movie, but that is more of a personal discussion, and I should really be judging the film as a film.
Michael Moore always infuses great humor into his documentaries; and its for the best. The subject matter is often depressing then you get this nice lift of comic relief. The part with him driving the bank truck from bank to bank was priceless, or the crime scene tape... great stuff.
Capitalism: A Love Story is a difficult film to review without getting into the actual points so I think I'm going to end here and recommend you see this film whether or not you hate Micheal. This film should be shown in schools to educate those who don't fully understand what is going on and how severe it is, or can get.
| |
