Satire In Bowling For Columbine, By Michael Moore

Michael Moore uses a myriad of techniques including editing, sound and inclusion of comedy satire to influence the audience’s viewpoint and position them to share his view on subjects presented in his documentaries. In his film Bowling for Columbine (2002), one of the subjects brought up is the issue of gun violence and accessibility in America.

Bowling For Columbine starts with archival footage of the National Rifle Association. It is included to imply that the film is endorsed by the NRA but as the footage is in black and white, compared to the rest of the film it seems that Moore has already begun positioning us. This archival footage implies that the NRA is outdated and the inclusion is therefore seen as another form of irony or social

satire. A short sequence then plays with Moore narrating, showing milkmen, farmers doing their everyday rituals, children going to school and “the president bombing another country whose name we couldn't pronounce” This ironic understatement juxtaposes with the mundane routines established before and after the statement.

By presenting this in such a way it makes it seem like a part of the everyday routine, positioning the audience to believe that this violence is a part of everyday life. The soundtrack playing in the background of this montage is, ‘Battle hymn of the Republic’ this song adds to American patriotism and further sets up that violence is a part of the American way through subtle techniques. The film then goes to a long shot of Moore entering a bank. Moore appears in all his documentaries as a separate character and Louise Spence states, “ It's this constructed ‘enacted’ self that secures the bond with the referential world and lends a particular voice to the documentary.’ The inclusion of Moore in his film is vital to the atmosphere and his ordinary, jokey, working class self gives the viewers a character to side with. This persona is further emphasised with the inclusion of home footage of him as a young boy and his personal background with the rifle subculture. This footage is included as it shows he is not in a position to condemn or

judge gun owners and lets the documentary maintain a degree of objectivity. The use of autobiographical stories is another technique to ensure connect with Moore's persona and identify with his viewpoint. By knowing background information about Moore he becomes almost a friend to the audience and this enables us to trust him that his content is truthful.

The Columbine High school tragedy is used as a platform to discuss the issue of gun violence and accessibility in America.

On April 20th 1999, two boys open fired over 900 rounds of ammunition killing 12 students and one teacher. This is presented in the film with eerie footage of Moore walking through the hallways of Columbine High with the emptiness echoing the scenes of devastation experienced in the school. The Columbine massacre is then re lived with actual split screen security camera footage of terrified students diving for cover as the two boys open fired. This footage is overlaid with the logged voices of 911 callers with the calls escalating in panic as the footage rolls on. The way this footage is presented is extremely confronting for the audience and we are forced to see that gun violence and accessibility is an issue. The guns the boys used were legally purchased and the bullets they had bought from their local Kmart. Later on in the film, Moore takes two victims of the Columbine shootings to Kmart headquarters. They cause the manufacturers to phase out the selling of handgun bullets by showing the wounds the victims received and appealing to their better conscience. The scene includes footage of people having to help carry the victim in the wheelchair up the stairs as the store has no disabled access. The inclusion of this footage further demonized the store and when only after Moore brought the press did the decide to phase out the bullets, the win seemed

more triumphant. Galloway, McAlpine and Harris state,’ the scenes with the greatest impact tend to be the result of Moore engineering situations that will reinforce his point of view in spectacularly memorable ways.’

A strong technique to position the audience used throughout Bowling for Columbine is interviews. Moore interviews Nichols in his home, a technique used to make the interview comfortable and allow Nichols to say how he truly feels. This particular interview however was quite intrusive. The nature of the controversial questions concerning firearms and explosives seemed an invasion of the man's personal environment. Equally the choice of what footage was included makes the subject seem unstable. He talks quickly and often angrily to Moore and at one point when they go into the bedroom we are informed Nichols holds a gun to his head which we are informed of by words on the screen. With the inclusion of this footage, Moore is disregarding everything the subject is saying and dismissing his views as the ramblings of a mad man. Another man painted in a bad light is Charlton Heston. Throughout the film Charlton Heston is portrayed as a villain. Directly after the footage of the devastation at Columbine High are shown, Heston is shown with a rifle in the air stating, “From my cold dead hands.” The altered timeline of Hestons gun rally being held in the town shortly after the devastation, magnifies the insensitivity of the action. The juxtaposition of this rally with the father protesting who had lost his son in the shootings only emphasises the insensitivity more.
Similarly as Moore is comforting a teacher from the school where Kayla Rolland was shot, the words “From my cold dead hands” are played over the top of the scene as it is told that Heston held a pro gun rally in her town after the shooting as well. This leaves us questioning what type of man Heston is and sets up Moore's interview with Heston with the audience already siding with Moore. The interview is held in Heston's pool house, distancing him further from the working class world. The style of this interview is much the same as Nichols interview with the questions Moore poses becoming increasingly personal and accusatory. Heston closes the interview and walks away from Moore as he shows him the picture of Kayla Rolland. This again positions us against Heston and what he stands for.

Moore is an extremely talented documentary maker and although he never states his view outright the techniques used throughout position us to take on his views. He brings up important issues and includes satire and comedy which adds to the overall message and makes the film entertaining.