"Bowling for Colombine" is an interesting documentary in that it doesn't really give the audience an answer to it's primary question: why are Americans so violent? Although a number of factors are raised, none of them really provide a full answer. Perhaps it is a combination of a violent history, lots of guns and fear, but that's not ever explicitly stated.
Micheal Moore does ramble a bit across Bowling... which may annoy those in the audience wanting an easy A to B to C style documentary, but the loose collection of topics covered by Mr Moore very rarely drifts off target. If anything the lack of focus on any one topic / event provides the viewer with a greater look at the eccentricities of the US cultural psyche. Bowling... becomes greater than the sum of its parts by showing a wide range of topics where the answer hasn't been expressly decided before the footage has been shot.
There are some flaws - the Heston interview is arguably sensationalist and misfires; Bowling... possibly goes on too long which weakens its impact. That said, the US is a better place for having people like Micheal Moore who are willing to ask the difficult questions. With luck, Bowling for Colombine will spark a discussion in the US about a topic that sorely needs examination.
Micheal Moore does ramble a bit across Bowling... which may annoy those in the audience wanting an easy A to B to C style documentary, but the loose collection of topics covered by Mr Moore very rarely drifts off target. If anything the lack of focus on any one topic / event provides the viewer with a greater look at the eccentricities of the US cultural psyche. Bowling... becomes greater than the sum of its parts by showing a wide range of topics where the answer hasn't been expressly decided before the footage has been shot.
There are some flaws - the Heston interview is arguably sensationalist and misfires; Bowling... possibly goes on too long which weakens its impact. That said, the US is a better place for having people like Micheal Moore who are willing to ask the difficult questions. With luck, Bowling for Colombine will spark a discussion in the US about a topic that sorely needs examination.