Bowling For Columbine Documentary Analysis
In the interactive documentary Bowling for Columbine directed by Michael Moore, the societal issues of gun law and how mental health and bullying can affect people are discussed. The documentary applied heavily in 2002 when it was first made after the shootings at Columbine high school and in present day due to America taking the wrong course of action to improve accessibility to guns and provide help to those who need or ask for it. On top of this he also cover white supremacy and racism present in American culture.
The main societal issue discussed in Bowling for Columbine by Michael Moore is the gun laws in America and how little you had to do to get in possession of a gun and bullets. To show the audience just how easy it was to get a gun, Moore walked into a bank offering a deal and after signing just a few papers and passing a security check was able to get his hands on a gun whilst still being in the bank. This was a good way to draw attention the fickle laws America after two teenagers were able to get their hands on powerful weapons and fire on …show more content…
Columbine high school killing 13 people including students and teachers. As well as the Columbine shootings Michael Moore brings in other examples of shootings and how America reacted after this event. Rather then addressing the issue of how they got a hold of guns America went out to control schools even more with locker checks and metal detectors positioned at all doors plus a strict dress code.
I believe this had a big impact on the society because it showed more then just the 1 event and Michael Moore edits the documentary to show how the shootings around America are connected and not just random isolated incidents he also shows the public just how easy they made it for mentally unstable people to gain access to such powerful, dangerous weapons.
Another societal issue Michael Moore covers in his documentary is Racism and the white Supremacy idea that America held and still holds to a degree today. This has always been a conflicted issue in the States, Michael Moore uses this issue to show America what he thinks is the main reason for having guns as protection and the right to continue to do so. To show this in Bowling for Columbine Moore uses a cartoon illustrating American history, it starts out with the first British discovery of America however the more relevant part comes in nearer to the end. The cartoon is used to get across the belief that the second amendment or the right to bear arms came about during the protests against slavery, incase it succeeded people wanted a way to protect themselves if the humans they had enslaved wanted revenge. This was used to show that people did not in fact need the right as they were in no danger. The amendment was made in times of high paranoia and is also compared to the paranoia felt when the witch trials were taking place in both America and Europe. The cartoon shows how the enemy is different then what is portrayed on TV and still discussed in the South, the real danger is not the revenge of the former slaves but the anxious White American’s ashamed and scared of what their ancestors had done and believed. It allows the viewer to see why it is so important to change and comparing how the whites behave to the African Americans to the witch trials just shows how extreme slavery was and that those who still want it to be legal are the a problem the need to be solved.
In Conclusion Michael Moore’s interactive documentary Bowling for Columbine Societal issues such as Gun laws and easy access to guns plus racism focusing on white supremacy is discussed and brought to light to Americans.
It relates Shootings from all over America and discusses how they are all connected. Moore also coveys how the gun laws around today have evolved from the white American’s paranoia involving former slaves once set free and British who may decide to concur. Michael Moore conveyed these messages in good ways targeting all civilians and exposing the higher ups in the NRA comparing them to the KKK and Slavery to Witch trials showing just how outdated and wrong these ideas are and just how dangerous this has made America for anyone who looks threatening. I believe that this had a powerful lesson, easy to understand and stood for change in the USA that has been in need of change for far too
long.
The main societal issue discussed in Bowling for Columbine by Michael Moore is the gun laws in America and how little you had to do to get in possession of a gun and bullets. To show the audience just how easy it was to get a gun, Moore walked into a bank offering a deal and after signing just a few papers and passing a security check was able to get his hands on a gun whilst still being in the bank. This was a good way to draw attention the fickle laws America after two teenagers were able to get their hands on powerful weapons and fire on …show more content…
Columbine high school killing 13 people including students and teachers. As well as the Columbine shootings Michael Moore brings in other examples of shootings and how America reacted after this event. Rather then addressing the issue of how they got a hold of guns America went out to control schools even more with locker checks and metal detectors positioned at all doors plus a strict dress code.
I believe this had a big impact on the society because it showed more then just the 1 event and Michael Moore edits the documentary to show how the shootings around America are connected and not just random isolated incidents he also shows the public just how easy they made it for mentally unstable people to gain access to such powerful, dangerous weapons.
Another societal issue Michael Moore covers in his documentary is Racism and the white Supremacy idea that America held and still holds to a degree today. This has always been a conflicted issue in the States, Michael Moore uses this issue to show America what he thinks is the main reason for having guns as protection and the right to continue to do so. To show this in Bowling for Columbine Moore uses a cartoon illustrating American history, it starts out with the first British discovery of America however the more relevant part comes in nearer to the end. The cartoon is used to get across the belief that the second amendment or the right to bear arms came about during the protests against slavery, incase it succeeded people wanted a way to protect themselves if the humans they had enslaved wanted revenge. This was used to show that people did not in fact need the right as they were in no danger. The amendment was made in times of high paranoia and is also compared to the paranoia felt when the witch trials were taking place in both America and Europe. The cartoon shows how the enemy is different then what is portrayed on TV and still discussed in the South, the real danger is not the revenge of the former slaves but the anxious White American’s ashamed and scared of what their ancestors had done and believed. It allows the viewer to see why it is so important to change and comparing how the whites behave to the African Americans to the witch trials just shows how extreme slavery was and that those who still want it to be legal are the a problem the need to be solved.
In Conclusion Michael Moore’s interactive documentary Bowling for Columbine Societal issues such as Gun laws and easy access to guns plus racism focusing on white supremacy is discussed and brought to light to Americans.
It relates Shootings from all over America and discusses how they are all connected. Moore also coveys how the gun laws around today have evolved from the white American’s paranoia involving former slaves once set free and British who may decide to concur. Michael Moore conveyed these messages in good ways targeting all civilians and exposing the higher ups in the NRA comparing them to the KKK and Slavery to Witch trials showing just how outdated and wrong these ideas are and just how dangerous this has made America for anyone who looks threatening. I believe that this had a powerful lesson, easy to understand and stood for change in the USA that has been in need of change for far too
long.