Directed by: Michael Moore
Premise: A documentary about the economic system of
the United States, focusing on the disparity between the wealthy and the poor.
What Works: Capitalism:
A Love Story is another terrific piece of documentary filmmaking by Michael
Moore. Like his other work, Capitalism is a subjective documentary, like an op-ed piece in a newspaper, but he is
nevertheless convincing. Moore is a master at assembling his arguments and
arranging footage for maximum rhetorical effect and this film features some of
his most impressive work. Capitalism: A
Love Story is Moore’s most ambitious film to date as he takes on the
economic system of the United States. The film nicely links the public stories
of political corruption and mismanagement on Wall Street to the very personal
stories of working class people losing their homes and in Capitalism Moore is focused and disciplined, balancing his pathos
appeals with facts and figures better than any of his other film, except perhaps Bowling
for Columbine, and orchestrating a mounting argument against the systems
and social structures that have dismantled the middle class. Although he has
been criticized for his editing techniques in previous films, Capitalism is devoid of any cheap shots on Moore’s part. This makes his argument more
credible and his rhetorical voice more believable. Moore is a terrific showman
and he manages to elicit laughs, tears, and anger from his audience in equal
measure. The emotional ups and downs of the film merge the appeals of a feature
film with the expository nature of a documentary, resulting in a film that
demands to be listened to with its emotional appeals but then proves itself
worth taking seriously in its credible take on the subject matter.
What Doesn’t: Michael Moore’s biggest weakness
is his tendency to overreach or oversimplify complex issues. Although Moore is
much more focused throughout Capitalism,
in the finale he attempts to set up capitalism, an economic system, as the
opposite of democracy, a governmental system. The point Moore is trying to make,
that the current economic situation is antidemocratic, is made but what exactly
he wants to see reformed is unclear.
Bottom Line: Capitalism:
A Love Story will likely prove to be the centerpiece of Michael Moore’s
filmography. The film exposes how the economic engine of the United States works
and who it works for and ultimately reveals who we are as a people.