There are many critics of "Fahrenheit 9/11", calling the documentary "subjective" and "biased", and even calling the film a "pseudo-documentary". We must fight back against these accusations in order to defend the true value and function of documentaries.
First of all, can a documentary be objective? Now, when it comes to "objective" documentaries, the first is the direct film genre of the 1960s, which was known for its dispassionate observation and non-intrusive filming of the world around it. But in the post-structuralist perspective, this "objectivity" is quite questionable. In the editing and selection of shooting content, the director's subjective tendencies have been infiltrated in essence. Can non-intrusive filming guarantee objectivity? This objectivity is probably what Herzog calls "the accountant's objectivity".
In our opinion, documentaries can have subjective tendencies and can express their own positions clearly, and no longer need to be secretive like direct films. Among such documentaries, Moore's "Fahrenheit 911" is one of the best.
In the first half of the documentary, Moore used editing and sound and picture counterpoint to express his views incisively and vividly. In one scene, when the news anchor said that terrorists may use animals to carry out terrorist attacks, the next scene cuts to a cow nodding its head, Moore expresses the ignorance of such panic. When showing the impact of the World Trade Center, Moore used a black screen with only people's shouts and screams. This shot not only abides by the ethics of images and does not consume the deceased, but also enables the audience to experience and imagine the time more immersively. disaster scene. When expressing Bush's unresponsiveness when he heard about the terrorist attack, Moore made a direct voice-over comment, fully demonstrating his criticism and distrust of Bush.
Michael Moore has built an excellent new documentary with excellent lens language. In the new documentary era, documentaries can help people to fully express themselves against state and media power. Michael Moore is the best at this, so any blame on Moore must be fought back.
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