Review of Bowling for Columbine, Dir. Michael Moore
             From an hilarious cartoon on the history of the United States to a deeply moving memorial of the Columbine Highschool shooting incident, Bowling for Columbine tells, through humor and brutal facts, a story that Americans need to hear. Directed, produced, and written by Michael Moore, this documentary is a fair and convincing account of gun violence in the United States.
             The documentary is a two-and-a-half hour quest we take with Moore as he moves from place to place, in search of the question: Why are Americans so violent with each other? Rather than seeming to have an answer already in mind, Moore appears open-minded. The only real persuasion that seems to fuel the film is the suggestion that Americans need to be inquisitive: of themselves, and of their culture; they should want to know the truth, and they should be aware of the lies and fear promoted through politics and the media. Thus, while the film reflects a bias towards gun restriction and against the NRA, it comes off as mostly objective.
             First of all, Moore pulls off this sense of objectivity from the very start, by explaining his affiliation with the NRA. When he was a kid, he explains, he loved to shoot, having received an NRA marksmanship award. In fact, when Moore visits NRA president Charlton Heston, he mentions that, even now, he is a life-long member. This is a smart move, since the NRA seems to stand out as a villain in the film. Since, I assume, Moore wants to persuade rather than merely tell the people on his side what they want to hear, it is a wise decision on his part to seem a friend
             who is later betrayed by the NRA, rather than outright bashing the organization.
             Moore lets the people he interviews, and the facts, speak for themselves. For instance, while exploring the possible influences on Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the two highschool students responsible for the Columbine shooti...