Selection of original, handwritten notes below.
I expected to be bored by a gun documentary. Instead, I found a masterclass in tone: sarcasm that sharpens, pacing that drags in places, and a final stretch where action beats talk. Still, I’m glad I watched, great for inspiration.
What an enormous amount of work this must have been! And quite a big team, too. I found myself curious about all the roles. Did he use the same approach I like: shooting with minimal pre-interviews? Quite a few people were very candid; I even wondered whether they fully realized their words would be recorded for posterity. The arms and drug dealer, for instance, fascinating how open he was, even if it’s obviously rather harrowing.
At times I found the interviews tough to sit through. Is that a sign of the times? I prefer to discover things myself. For me the film mostly confirmed the image I have of aspects of American society, oops: that’s a judgment. Disillusioning, but not news. The parts that grabbed me were the overtly sarcastic sequences, the archival footage about wars, and the facts I didn’t know yet, like the bits about Osama bin Laden. I also didn’t have the U.S.’s meddling and mass killings elsewhere in the world front of mind, so that was interesting. I hadn’t made that connection myself, but now it feels like a logical input, a way of thinking. Similar to what we call the ‘VOC mentality’ in the Netherlands (the entrepreneurial mindset of the old Dutch East India Company). I love how Moore does this. I’d like to try something like it myself.
Other strong sections for me: the opening minutes. The offhand absurdity and then BANG - that really speaks to me! The animation that briefly sketches U.S. history and frames the perspective on gun ownership and the ending when Michael Moore takes action. All in all, plenty of food for thought. I like that.
I noticed what looks like a pick-up/insert shot when Moore holds up the girl’s photo - unlikely captured during the interview recordings. That choice briefly pulled me out and made me wonder what else might be re-created or added in post for effect.
I hear sarcasm throughout the film. Moore tries to look at the subject from all angles, a choice that, I think, keeps viewers from across the spectrum on board. It also adds nuance, which I appreciate. His reach is greater this way than if he had led with a judgment, smart move I’d say. I felt most engaged when he actually took action against the sale of bullets. For myself, I take from this that a filmmaker should do things, take action. That’s what I enjoy; I’m not big on endless talk. It becomes boring to me quickly and my mind checks out.
Intro: casual, humor, offhand
Dressed in orange in the woods - clearly intentional; darkly comic
Surprise, responsible people have a gun
Lockheed Martin man - noise from the factory must be deliberate. Hard to listen to, very uncomfortable. The man has to keep the factory going and is probably thinking PR for its embedding in local society with 5.000 employees.
USA trained Bin Laden???
Proud sign saying the plane killed many Vietnamese people: thank god for shaky camerawork. Hope this is meant symbolically, very questionable pride namely.
The high school shooting seems a small incident because of what Moore shows first. Hypocrite, no one else to blame.
Marilyn Manson gets the blame. How convenient. Manson’s got a point: campaign of fear: frighten them and consume.
A welcome acknowledgment of violence abroad
FEAR at Halloween, heart rate, pulse, nicely done related to fear
Corporate cops pitch - nice, funny break
Tough, normally I would have stopped watching
Nicely done, the beat brings me back, images too, different rhythm
Great, relief! Michael Moore is doing things, taking action! He bought up all the bullets and back to HQ of Kmart with all the press. Success.
What moment stuck with you most and why?
Documentary analysis #1