DVD Reviews

Bowling For Columbine (Canadian 2 DVD Set Special Edition)

Documentary filmmaker and political and corporate activist Michael Moore has proven himself and to the world to be both a humorous and hostile filmmaker spending his time and effort attacking corporate America, the government, and any form of operation that tries to bring down working-class citizens. He gained popularity with his first documentary Roger & Me, he has written several best-selling books, and even had a couple of popular yet short-lived television shows. But it was his most important film to date, Bowling For Columbine, that brought him into the mainstream. Bowling For Columbine was the surprise hit of 2002 gaining critical praise, public support, and many awards as it looked at the United States and its obsession with guns. It is a riveting, humorous, compelling and even shocking film, but it is also an important film, mainly because it looks at an issue most people are afraid to talk about. Not only are you entertained by the end of the film, you are also compelled to talk to someone about the issue, and you should. Even with its release on DVD controversy still stirs around this movie, and will probably stir around Moore for a long time.

If you liked the film, then you’ll get a kick out of this two-disc DVD set. In contains a decent transfer of the film that includes a good 5.1 Dolby Digital track (only 2.0 in French). Special features include a lot of interview footage of Moore from television shows, public appearances, and film festival interviews. Moore offers an introduction to the film and DVD and speaks on camera for the first time about his controversial Academy Award acceptance speech. As a humorous gag Moore gets his interns to provide a commentary for the film, a commentary that is kind of dull and adds nothing to the film. Moore also offers a Teacher’s Guide and Action Guide on DVD-ROM to promote discussion and education on the topic, a very clever feature which can also be accessed on his website. Other features include the trailer; a music video, a scrapbook, and a segment from his political commentary show The Awful Truth. They are a good selection of special features that contribute to the film and to Moore’s ideas and opinions, but it may not be your cup of tea if you do not like sitting through a bunch of interview and ‘talking head’ footage.

Michael Moore will continue to challenge corporate America until he is dead… or at least shot. Sure his style of filmmaking is aggressive and underhanded, but that is what documentary filmmaking is all about. At least he has the guts to stand up to corporations and governments and fight for simple things such as more work and less guns. In his attempts to improve the United States, he will continue to bring facts and issues to our attention so that we may become aware of what is wrong with our society and maybe to try and help make it a better and safer place to live and work, if not him alone. Love him or loathe him, he is making a difference, even if it is a small one, and maybe we are a step closer to a more civilized civilization. That is why Bowling For Columbine is such an intriguing and important film that should be required viewing for everybody: he challenges you by making you aware of this gun control issue and if you care enough you will help solve that problem, if not now for a new generation. If you still don’t understand why this film is so important after all of that, then you probably have not been paying attention. A great film and a great DVD, a must-see for all.

Review By Chris Emery