May 23, 2004
ANTI-AMERICANISM FOR FUN AND PROFIT
Fahrenheit 9/11 wins top honour at Cannes
(Associated Press, Globe and Mail, May 21st, 2004)
American filmmaker Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, a scathing indictment of White House actions after the Sept. 11 attacks, won the top prize Saturday at the Cannes Film Festival.Fahrenheit 9/11 was the first documentary to win Cannes' prestigious Palme d'Or since Jacques Cousteau's The Silent World in 1956.
"What have you done? I'm completely overwhelmed by this. Merci," Moore said after getting a standing ovation from the Cannes crowd. [...]
While Fahrenheit 9/11 was well-received by Cannes audiences, many critics felt it was inferior to Moore's Academy Award-winning documentary Bowling for Columbine, which earned him a special prize at Cannes in 2002.
Some critics speculated that if Fahrenheit 9/11 won the top prize, it would be more for the film's politics than its cinematic value.
With Moore's customary blend of humor and horror, Fahrenheit 9/11 accuses the Bush camp of stealing the 2000 election, overlooking terrorism warnings before Sept. 11 and fanning fears of more attacks to secure Americans' support for the Iraq war.
Customary blend of humor and horror? I suppose that is one way of putting it. Mr. Moore proves that, in America, all things really are possible. Including making a killing from openly trashing one's country at a time of war.
The last word on this jerk surely goes to the inestimable Christopher Hitchens (via Andrew Sullivan): "But speaking here in my capacity as a polished, sophisticated European as well, it seems to me the laugh here is on the polished, sophisticated Europeans. They think Americans are fat, vulgar, greedy, stupid, ambitious and ignorant and so on. And they've taken as their own, as their representative American, someone who actually embodies all of those qualities."
Posted by Peter Burnet at May 23, 2004 6:57 AMI guess this was overdetermined as the psychologists are wont to say.
Of course, the Liberal Press will be telling us it is a great movie, and millions of DVD's will be in print in October.
If they loose the election, they will not be able to say they did not try their very best.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at May 23, 2004 1:53 PMThis was A.O. Scott's heads-up from last week. As the Gambler says, read 'em 'n weep:
The content of "Fahrenheit 9/11," . . . is not entirely unfamiliar. Its bill of particulars against Mr. Bush can be found in a number of recently published books, and it is unapologetically polemical. It is also the best film Mr. Moore has made so far, a powerful and passionate expression of outraged patriotism, leavened with humor and freighted with sorrow. Yes, I said patriotism, though there will inevitably be those, pointing to the film's enthusiastic reception in France, who will insist that it is the opposite. They should (unlike Disney's board of directors) see it first.. . . I will say what surprised me most about it. We all know Mr. Moore as a polemicist and a muckraker, and according to our views and tastes we revile, lionize or equivocate about him as such. . .
"Fahrenheit 9/11," his most disciplined and powerful movie to date, suggests that he is also, arguably, a great filmmaker. Using interviews and archival video clips . . . he has assembled a moving and invigorating documentary. Is it partisan? Of course. But there are not many important films that haven't been.
Notice - yet again - the automatic rejection of the concerns of those critical, because "they hadn't seen the film yet". I do not recall that disclaimer said about the advance critics of THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST.
I wonder if Ray Bradbury approves of - or even has knowledge of - his book title being used to promote a conspiracy theory that very few accept in its entireity.
Posted by: John Barrett Jr. at May 23, 2004 6:16 PMAs I noted yesterday, how long can a nation hold together when a significant fraction of the populace actively work against, and even in hold in contempt, what were formerly unifying principles?
On a more cheery note, all one needs to do is look at the box office numbers of Mr. Moore's previous works and their fawning critical reviews, to see that this will entertain the Euro-adoring dinner party set but Real America couldn't care less.
Posted by: brian at May 23, 2004 10:54 PMIsn't some documentary filmmaker with a $1.98 budget doing a documentary on Moore using his own style? Ambushing him with questions as he goes out of his multi-million dollar Central Park penthouse, gets into his limo, etc.?
Posted by: Gideon at May 24, 2004 12:58 AMIsn't this just so predictable? Is anyone really suprised by this? Fatso makes another movie trashing Bush and the US in which he makes a lot of crap up and a Frenchy film festival gives him an award for it. This news?
Posted by: pchuck at May 24, 2004 10:15 AMThe movie is called "Michael Moore Hates America." Here is a link to the website:
http://www.michaelmoorehatesamerica.com
The site includes links to other anti-Moore sites such as Moorewatch and MooreLies.
Actually there was only one Frenchman on the Cannes jury, though no doubt they all were in sync politically.
Posted by: George at May 24, 2004 12:18 PM