Bowling For Columbine (2002)

Bowling for Columbine is filmmaker Michael Moore’s take on the culture of firearm violence in the United States. Using a mixture of interviews, statistics, documentary footage and cartoon animation, Moore manages to present some debateable truths about gun proliferation in America and raises some serious points towards gun control along the way.

Overall Review Score

5 out of 10

Review

Controversy seems to follow Michael Moore around like a restless spectre and nowhere is it more present then in the 114-minute documentary Bowling for Columbine. As Michael takes the audience through both the Columbine School Massacre and the wider issue of Gun Crime in America, he delivers a hard-hitting documentary in his usual controversial and slightly comedic manner. Bowling For Columbine gets to the point relatively quickly and sets to explore why America has a large proportion of gun-related deaths but as it progresses down its long, convoluted road the audience quickly lose sight of the films point. As the 114-minutes elapse, the audience takes away three main points: 1). The Columbine Massacre was a tragic incident that could have been avoided, 2). Gun control needs to be reviewed and 3). How does bowling before school act as an indicator for violence. Overall, Bowling For Columbine is a documentary that will enlighten the audience but it won’t offer any startling revelations or bring closure to the families who lost loved one in the Columbine, instead it might enrage them as Michael Moore has clearly used the incident as a backdrop for a wider political agenda.

Reviewer 1's score & comments:

Score: 5 out of 10

Comments:

Bowling for Columbine starts off as a thought provoking film that aims the tackle the sensitive issue of American gun culture, in which Michael Moore raises some very interesting points for increased gun legislation. However, what let the film down, in my opinion, is its section on TV advertisement and racial discrimination that tries to shift the attention away from the gun debate towards racial inequality.

Reviewer 2's score & comments:

Score: 5 out of 10

Comments:

This is a film that I struggled with, I wasn’t sure if Michael Moore was trying to educate people about the dangers of the American gun culture or whether he was trying to outline the motives of the individuals whom undertake the Columbine massacre. The documentary is thought provoking but it tries to cover a lot of information in a short space of time causing the main point to be lost on the audience.

#documentary