Bowling for Columbine.

Bowling For Columbine

Key Cast: Michael Moore

Director: Michael Moore

Writer: Michael Moore

Genre: Documentary (Crime)

Themes: Violence, Gun Crime, Politics, 

Release: November 2002

Budget: $4,000,000

Key Scenes:

A key scene within the documentary is shown right at the start of the film where Michael Moore goes into the bank. This scene is significant because it is sort of an introduction into what Michael Moore is going to be presenting. The audience thinks that it is going to be a serious documentary about gun crime, which it is, but Michael Moore almost mocks gun control as he shows there is really no gun control. When he walks into the bank the first thing he says is that he wants the bank account were he can get the free gun. Then after he goes through the easy process of the getting the gun he then says 'Do you think it is a little bit dangerous to be handing out guns at a bank'. This is a significant part of the scene because he has a point. He shows to the audience that in aAmerica it is so easy to get access to guns and you can almost buy them any where. By opening the documentary with the scene at the bank shows that America is such a gun oriented country that they are even selling them at banks; the last place which you would assume to sell them. Michael Moore mocks the fact that people are completely oblivious when it comes to weapons.

Another important scene is shown at the end of the documentary when Michael Moore goes to talk to Charlton Heston (Famous member of the National Rifle Association (NRA)) about his views on guns and why he promoted guns at the scenes of recent gun crimes. This is a significant scene because, Michael Moore decides to confront him about Kayla Rolland. Moore decides to confront Heston about the little girl and wanted him to apologies to the town for his actions, but he refuses. This is significant because it shows to the audience that a lot of people in America think that guns protect them, but when gun crimes do happen they don't learn from them. They are oblivious to the fact that any one can get a gun and any one can do what ever they like with them. Moore confronting Heston about the death of Kayla is significant because it tells the audience that although people know that guns are a major problem people try and push past or forget about it.

At the NRA rally a few days after the columbine shooting, Heston said: 'From my cold dead hands' as he held a rifle in the air. I think this is also significant because he is promoting rifles after there was a mass shooting in a local school. He is almost rubbing the towns nose in it that they are still supporting guns after a massive tragedy. It indicates that people are completely oblivious and unaware of the negatives impacts that guns have on peoples lives. 

Key Micro-features:

Two key micro-features that work together is mise-en scene and sound. In a scene about halfway through, it shows a montage of weapon related deaths (including bombings and shootings) in which the song What a Wonderful World is playing over the top of it. This creates juxtaposition and makes the audience think more about what they are seeing and what they believed. America is known as one of the greatest countries in the world. This idea is constantly reinforced in the media as it often highlights how proud people are to be in America, 'The Land of the Free'. However, the juxtaposition between the scene and the music shows the exact opposite. It shows parts of Americas negative history when it comes to weapons and how it is not actually what it is made out to be. Again Michael Moore is mocking the audience and showing them that there is a problem that is not being addressed but being forgotten about. Mise-en-scene and sound works well together to create meaning in this scene because it indicates that what we are hearing about America is totally different from what is actually happening.