On the eve of the release of “Fahrenheit 9/11” — which ads arecalling “the most controversial film of the year” — Michael Mooreprepares for the United States to see his stance on the Bushadministration.
The Movie
“Fahrenheit 9/11″ is Moore’s commentary on the Bushadministration and its actions before and after Sept. 11.
The movie showcases Moore interviewing politicians andnon-politicians as well as archived footage of Bush and otherfigures he hopes to scrutinize.
The film won the Palm d’Or award at this year’s Cannes FilmFestival, but almost did not make it to movie screens.
Moore originally made the film for Miramax, but the Walt DisneyCo. which owns Miramax, refused to let Miramax distribute thefilm.
According to MTV.com, Disney said the company was in no positionto take political sides, and Moore entered a high profile battlefor the movie to be released.
Bob and Harvey Weinstein, heads of Miramax, saved the film andbought it from Disney, arranging for Lions Gates EntertainmentCorporation and IFC Films to distribute it.
The film cost the Weinsteins an estimated $6 million.
The Election
Though Moore has said in numerous interviews he hopes this moviewill affect the upcoming presidential election, many are not sure”Fahrenheit” will change any votes.
Political science professor James Garand said although the filmis unique, he doubts it will change people’s political views.
“Michael Moore’s hope is that this is going to have an effect onthe election,” Garand said. “I am not confident that it will.”
Garand said the audience that views the film will not bebalanced.
“First, I don’t think the film is going to be watched by across-section of Americans,” Garand said. “Liberals and democratswill go see the film. Conservatives or republicans won’t. Most ofthe people who are going to see the film are people who havealready made up their minds who to vote for.”
Garand said he doubts people will change their political viewsbased on Hollywood’s views.
Robert Hogan, an assistant professor in political science saidthe film will serve as a democratic rally of support for theelection.
“People might leave [the film] feeling even more intensely aboutthese things,” Hogan said.
Both professors agreed neither Bush nor Kerry should respond tothe film.
“I suspect neither campaign will have much to say about it,”Hogan said. “If the Bush campaign even acknowledges it, that givesit credibility.”
But Hogan said the film could potentially play a part in theelection.
“In a close election, the color of the shirt the candidate wearsmatters,” Hogan said. “You just don’t know how much it willplay.”
The Audience
Now that the movie finally will be released to the public,audiences are left to decide if they actually want to go see thefilm.
Christopher Boudreaux, president of the LSU College RepublicanAlliance, said unlike many other Republicans he is planning to seethe movie.
“I am curious to see what all the fuss is about, personally,”Boudreaux said.
But Boudreaux said he thinks most students’ political views arenot easily swayed by Hollywood.
“I think people our age are able to come to their ownconclusions,” Boudreaux said. “Honestly, I think in general, mostyoung adults our age tend to lean more toward the conservativeside.”
But others students said they think it is not the time tocriticize the president.
Olamide Iledre, a biological sciences senior, said he did notplan to see the film.
“There are times you should be behind the president and supporthim,” Iledre said. “I do not think you should just follow thispropaganda.”
Ryan Salvesen, a Spanish language sophomore, said he had neverheard of the film.
But once Salvesen heard the movie leaned to anti-Bushsentiments, he said he was interested.
“I think it’s cool already,” Salvesen said.
The Patriot Act
Early reviews of the film said much of the film contains Moore’scommentary on the Patriot Act, passed 45 days after Sept. 11.
Garand said the Patriot Act was designed to relax some of thestandards used in investigating individuals.
Moore criticizes members of Congress who said they never readthe act, which he portrays as an infringement of basic rightsguaranteed by the Constitution.
But Garand said members of Congress and the Senate often do notread legislation before voting.
“If we required Senators to read every piece of legislation thatcomes across their desk, then nothing would ever get passed,”Garand said.
Hogan agrees it is not uncommon for legislators not to readbills, but said in the case of the Patriot Act, things should havebeen different.
“What I will say is this is a pretty encompassing act,” Hogansaid. “With these implications, perhaps Congress should have spentmore time examining the act.”
Vacation
“Fahrenheit” also addresses the amount of vacation Bush tookduring his administration.
In advertisements for the film, Moore claims Bush spent 42percent of his first eight months of office on vacation — a facthe attributes to The Washington Post.
But Hogan said Bush’s time on vacation may not have beenentirely wasted.
“I do not think that is any extraordinary amount,” Hogan said.”[His administration] would come back and say he was not playinggolf all the time. But it does however lend itself to thoseideas.”
Hogan said the vacation may prove Bush trusts those who work forhim.
“It gets into an image of Bush as someone who is not bothered bythe minutia of details of the presidential administration,” Hogansaid. “Those who see the president in a positive light would say itis a quality of a good CEO. He leaves details to people who hetrusts.”
Other Controversy
But Moore’s film has not only sparked political controversy.
The film’s distribution companies lost their battle with theMotion Picture Association of America to lower the film’s ratingfrom “R” to “PG-13.”
The MPAA gave the movie an “R” rating for “violent anddisturbing images and for language.” The movie contains shots of anIraqi man throwing a dead baby into a truckload of bodies, a publicbeheading in Saudi Arabia and Iraqis being burned by napalm.
IFC Films President Johnathan Sehring told The New York Timesthe “R” rating could cost the film 10 to 20 percent in theatricalrevenues.
“Some of the images are disturbing, but in a year or two, ifkids are off to war, they’re going to be faced with thosedisturbing images for real,” Sehring said in The New YorkTimes.
Moore also has another person to answer to for his film,legendary “Fahrenheit 451” author Ray Bradbury.
Bradbury told Swedish daily newspaper The Dagens Nyheter, Moorenever asked for permission to use the title. The Dagens Nyheterreported that when Bradbury tried to contact Moore, he neverresponded.
In an English translation of the interview Bradbury said, “Hestole the title and changed the numbers without ever asking me forpermission.”
Bradbury called Moore a “horrible human being” and said themovie had nothing to do with his own political opinions.
Bradbury said he did not foresee the movie being successful.
“Who cares?” Bradbury said in The Dagens Nyheter. “Nobody willsee his movie. It is almost dead already. Never mind, nobodycares.”
“Fahrenheit 9/11” opens in theaters tomorrow nationwide.