Michael Moore vs. Michael Wilson

Journal 1-3

In answer to my question in my last blog posts, I could not find any reactions to the film specifically from  residents of Littleton, or families of the victims. But in watching Michael Moore Hates America this week I learned the reactions of those who had been in the film, like employees of North Country Bank. An employee at the NRA also spoke on Heston's behalf about how he had been construed in a false light. The workers at North Country felt they had been taken advantage of. They were told Moore was doing a film on unique businesses in America, which was a lie. Moore staged his visit to make it seem like the guns were right at the bank to hand out, when really they were kept 300 miles away, and shipped to a licensed firearm dealer for the owner to pick up after the account was made. But Moore contacted the bank ahead of time and had the gun shipped so that it would be ready for him to take home the day he made his account. The NRA representative talked about how the Heston's speeches had been spliced to make it look like it was all one speech, when really they had taken place at two separate times. It made Heston look insensitive for coming to Denver ten days after Columbine, when by law the meeting could not be canceled. There were also parts in Heston's Denver speech when he showed respect and remorse for the community of Littleton, but that was not shown in BFC.

Last week in class we finished Bowling For Columbine. I was out of class two days for college visits, but in the last part of the film Moore got a sit down interview with Charlton Heston. We also learned about the death of six-year old Kayla Rolland, who was shot by a classmate at school. When talking about Rolland, Moore ultimately blamed Dick Clark for her death, which made no sense. His reasoning was that Kayla's murderer's mother was evicted, and forced to move in with her brother, which is the home where her son found the gun. But since his mom worked on the welfare-to-work program, which employs some of its workers at Dick Clark's restaurant, it was his fault. In his interview with Heston, he also made him feel guilty for Kayla Rolland's death, which again made no sense to me. Heston invited Moore into his home, and completely disrespected him and made him look stupid. He asked questions Heston could not have possibly known the answer to, and left a picture of Rolland on Heston's property. Heston is in no way responsible for Rollands' death. Though he does support gun ownership as president of the NRA, Rolland's murder was a six year old who stole the gun, and the second amendment which the NRA supports is for people eighteen and over. This week we also started the film Michael Moore Hates America which follows filmmaker Michael Wilson as he tries to prove America is not the horrible place Moore makes it out out be.HE also discredits Moore editing techniques.

Although I definitely like Wilson more than Moore, I think that they both use incredible sources. For example, Wilson has a lawyer talking about Moore's supposed narcissistic personality disorder, when he is not even a a professional in psychology. This is a fallacy of unqualified authority. And when Moore is talking about how much greater Canada is than America in BFC, he talks to three high schoolers who are skipping school at Taco Bell, and a couple of intoxicated people in a bar. This definitely doesn't  represent all the people in Canada. But Moore is a lot more deceitful in his editing. He stages scenes, lies, splices clips and sound bites but never admits that any of it is in the smallest way untrue. But when Wilson deceives a county representative from Moores' hometown of Davison, Michigan, he talks about how it was unethical and sends the man an apology.

I feel like Wilson is a more ethical filmmaker than Moore. Although its impossible for a documentary to ever be completely objective and truthful, Wilson does a much better job. He points out his faults in order to make his movie as truthful as possible, like in the situation with the Davison representative when he pretended to know less than he actually did. Also in the scene at North Country Bank he leaves in the cameraman's commentary on how Moore was not completely unjustified in making fun of the bank, because a bank giving out guns is funny. Moore on the other hand, seems to use every trick in the book to make you believe what he believes is true. He makes himself look smarter and funnier at other peoples' expense. In MMHA, the employees mention that while filming BFC one of the tellers made a joke that made Moore look stupid, and he admonished her and said it was his movie, and he'd be the one making the jokes.

Although Moore and Wilson's film making ethicality is a related topic, this reminded me of how sometimes two things are compared or attached to each other when they really have no logical connection. I feel like Moore sometimes does this in his films. In BFC he somehow related the death of Kayla Rolland to be Dick Clark's fault, which makes no sense. Because the welfare-to-work program employs some people at Dick Clark's restaurant chain, and Rolland's murderer's mother did not make enough money on the WTW Program to keep her house, and was forced to move in to her brother's house where her son found the gun that killed Kayla, it is Dick Clark's fault she is dead. The WTW program employs people at other stores that all happen to be in a certain shopping mall, which includes Dick Clark's restaurant. I don't believe he should be faulted for Kayla's death because the chance that he has control over who is employed in his restaurant chain is not likely.

I wonder how Michael Moore reacted to Wilson's film. He already chastised Wilson for making it at the University of Minnesota, and told press that movie was a fraud. I wonder if Wilson ever got his interview with Moore, or if Moore ever gave his review of or reaction to the film to the press.






Works Cited:
1. Wilson, M. Brian Cartmell & Michael Wilson. 2004. Michael Moore Hates America [Film]. HCW Films.
2. (2007, August 20). The Gun Zone. Retrieved October 16, 2011, from http://www.thegunzone.com/rkba/images/bc
3. Buell Elementary School demolition doesn't mean we'll forget Kayla Rolland. (2008, November 22). mlive.com. Retrieved October 16, 2011, from http://www.mlive.com/opinion/flint/index.ssf/2008/11/flint_journal_editortony_deari_1.htmlhttp://f_bankpromo.jpghttp://