Capitalism: A Love Story is one of Michael Moore’s most important documentaries and as such he has spared no expense in its construction. Through a clever compilation of facts and figures, emotionally moving encounters and his own personal brand of getting results, Michael Moore has achieved nothing short then a flawless representation of the American society in his time. Throughout the documentary Michael Moore applies these techniques in a way that is comedic, reliable and above all effective in its impact.
Whenever a documentary has the words “Michael Moore” scribbled amongst its cover you can instantly tell that it’s worth your time to view. In this aspect Michael Moore’s reputation precedes him but it is certainly not without justification. In Capitalism: A Love Story, Michael Moore combines some of his best techniques to produce this intense documentary. Facts and Figures are one such technique and are very effective at substantiating Michael Moore as a man with more than just an opinion. Due to the subject of his film Michael Moore is given with extensive amounts of figures each one with its own purpose, but collectively they give substance to his meaning and content. Whilst the facts himself need not be explained in just how much they validate his point they can also be used as an effect on their own. In one such scene Michael Moore is shown standing outside Wall Street asking about derivatives. These aforementioned derivatives are then explained as a HIDDEN figure attached to items this provides a secretive side to Wall Street. Because Michael Moore is so open about his facts and is also considered “On the Right Side” this omission from the public condemns Wall Street as they are not being open as well and paints them “On the Wrong Side”. By attacking the state of Americas capitalistic economy using all of its hidden facts and secrets with a few well known ones thrown in Michael Moore appeals to the curiosity within his audience as they learn secrets beyond their pay-grade and thirst for more. This is reflected well in his audience as even I wanted to discover the rest and because of this effect, his use of Facts of Figures could hardly be more effective then it currently is.
Among his other various techniques Michael Moore also includes anecdotes and even more vitally; emotionally stimulating anecdotes. Engaging his audience on an academic level through figures is effective alone but to really sink the meaning in Michael Moore exacts his own revenge by drawing light to some of Wall Street’s darkest secrets. One of Wall Street’s lesser known crimes was the establishment of PA Child Care, a seemingly gentle scheme to provide a better life to those children in Juvenile detention. However this deal then turns sour and Capitalism settles in causing thousands of children to be wrongly sentenced and forced into extended sentences. Michael Moore’s main reply is “These kids were about to get there first lesson in Capitalism”. This engages the audience head on and forces them to accept the reality of how Capitalism works, affecting not just them but also the next generation. By carefully laying out his anecdotes Michael Moore creates a sense of reality around his work and this very effectively binds his viewers to see as he does.
Whilst these 2 techniques are only a sample of Michael Moore’s arsenal of conventions, they can still be used to show his talent and effectiveness. By incorporating hard evidence into his expository text he can validate his work but the truth effect of this technique becomes apparent when he turns it around on Wall Street and condemns them for its omission. By incorporating the emotional trauma cases such as the PA Child Care Michael Moore can utilise any compassion in his audience and set them up for later. In essence Michael Moore’s usage of techniques in Capitalism: A Love Story is done exceptionally well and works to its full extent.
No comments:
Post a Comment