An Inconvenient Truth

This 2006 documentary film about Al Gore's campaign to educate citizens about global warming and instill them to take action was effective and informative. The film was effective in that it made the audience think about the issue. Many of us hear about global warming, but never go as far as to research the subject as deeply as Gore. His research, comparative and striking images, charts, and personal stories are what prove global warming is something worth putting some thought into. At the same time, these components add to Gore's credibility by making it evident he is an expert who has spent time acquiring knowledge and advocating for a good social cause. The documentary also provided a lot of information. Gore presented older data and compared it to new data. He included graphs and charts and did a good job of breaking down the concepts using visuals and images that help visual learners. Another great thing about the film was the structure of it. It began presenting the issue, then explaining it and breaking it down, then showed why it was a major problem, and finally included a call to action at the end. This final call to action made it clear that was the major purpose of the documentary- to instill in the viewer a sense of responsibility and ability to correct the situation.

"There I Fixed It"

These two images were part of a power point I received via email and can be found along with other interesting ones here. Besides entertainment, there are other reasons why I chose to include them. The first one, is the argument they present, that is: it might look ridiculous, but being resourceful and creative works. Even though to the audience this might seem awkward, clumsy, or dirty, the images still portray this message through the depiction of people's creativity. The man riding the bike with just one real wheel and the grocery cart serving as the other wheel depicts how resourceful and imaginative a person can be. Perhaps if it was someone else who did not have another wheel would have just left the bike resting on the backyard corner. Nevertheless, this man on the left takes a grocery cart, uses it as a wheel, and is probably on his way to the nearest store. The individuals cooking on the right were inventive enough to use a cart to cook their meat. Who does that? Most people would either buy cooked meat, buy another grill, or simply keep the meat frozen until they could get a hold of a real grill.
Another reason I chose them is simply because they are humorous. The scenarios are awkward because they are situations one does not expect. One expects to see a bike with two descent wheels and expects to see a real grill when seeing meat getting cooked; not a cart. The disparity between the every day reality one is accustomed to and the unique reality reflected on the pictures is what adds the funny factor.

Fahrenheit 9/11

Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 was a unique documentary. I had never seen any of Moore's films. I really enjoyed the way he presented some of his points and the way he riduculed what he believes led up to 9/11. Moore included a lot of interviews, images of old films, and of course his voice overs, which is the main element he uses to bring his sarcastic points accross. His use of sarcasm was effective. For example, the director makes fun of Bush's train of thought when informed America had been attacked by voicing over in a skeptical, sarcastic tone what Moore belived the president thought. One of the things I focused on was the appearance of American soldiers. Just like in "Hearts and Minds" our soldiers were portrayed standing, singing, moving, even taking pictures with victims. I had not noticed this trend in American films or war-related literature. Even when the film shows dead American soldiers all the audience sees is the beautiful green cemetary filled with white tombstones.

I did notice the tone and structure of the documentary was varied. It first started with a very sarcastic tone as it presented the issue and explained the situation. Then it took on a more sad, serious tone as Moore interviewed parents of soldiers and followed them around to show their grief. For instance, Moore did not use sarcasm during the time a veteran's mom read one of the letters her son sent her. The film then picked up the sarcasm once again. I did feel Moore's act of bringing the sarcastic pitch down during the time parents and other family members were being interviewed was an appropriate thing to do. If Moore had continued using it, he would have seemed unbelievably disrespectful and like too much of a jerk.

Also, the inclusion of different types of music made the film even funnier because the specific songs poked fun at the situation in a very explicit manner. For example, the song that plays when Moore talks about Bush's connections with the Saudis ridicules Bush and his actions. The song itself is a happy song. The lyrics include phrases like "very happy people holding hands..." This phrase plays when Moore shows a picture of the Bush family shaking hands with the Saudis in various ocassions.

My favorite part was when Moore went around asking congressmen to enlist their children. The expressions of the congressmen and their flight reactions to the question were funny and appalling at the same time. The funny aspect of it depicted Moore's style. The flight reaction showed the fact that war is supported by some only as long as it does not come into too much proximity to them and as long as it is somehow profitable to them.