Bowling for Columbine is the new film from Michael Moore, who has to be on everyone's top ten list of interesting people. You may remember Michael from Roger & Me, a documentary of sorts, where Moore tried to interview General Motors CEO Roger Smith about the devastating effect of downsizing on Moore's hometown of Flint, Michigan. The film has long been one of my favorites, so I was rather keen to see Bowling for Columbine.

As in Roger & Me, Moore plays a central role in the film, interviewing various people as he tries to come to some understanding about the tragedy in Littleton, Colorado, where two high school seniors shot their classmates and themselves. The film is so titled because on the day of the shooting, the two boys attended first period--bowling--then opened fire.

The film is a roller coaster ride of gut-wrenching horror, fear, disgust, and overwhelming sadness, sprinkling with a little mood lightening laughter. Michael Moore is incredibly opinionated and he has no fear of expressing his thoughts, no matter what the cost. As an interviewer he is dogged in digging for the answers he wants. As a director he has no qualms about manipulating his footage to really hammer home his point. Marilyn Manson, for example, seems to be a regular human being, far more sane than many others he interviews.

Moore explores America's love of violence via guns. The film opens with Moore opening a bank account to get a free gun, and closes with an interview with Charlton Heston, the high profile spokesperson for the NRA. Moore is so mean, I actually felt sad for Heston.

This film is DISTURBING. If you're distressed by violence, don't go. Moore holds no punches. More than once we see real footage of people being killed. There is a shocking montage of post WWII US history a la Moore, a grocery list of interventions made overseas, ranging from Noriego to Bin Laden, culminating in footage of the second plane hitting the WTC. The often graphic footage of atrocities is accompanied by "What a Wonderful World." Then, somewhat in the style of South Park--whose creator, Matt Stone, Moore interviews--there's a hilarious and highly unflattering cartoon history of the US. Probably the saddest moment is coverage of the incident in Flint, Michigan, where a 6-year-old boy shot a fellow kindergarten pupil.

Moore doesn't come up with any answers in the movie. Instead, Bowling for Columbine throws out a whole bunch of questions and thoughts in typical, rambling Michael Moore style. I thought it was wonderful and compulsory viewing for anyone interested in popular culture.

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