Fahrenheit as Film

[anduril]

Seeing as Chris Knipp is apparently incapable of starting a new thread to discuss the topics that interest him about F9/11, I thought, in an ironic twist, that I should start a thread to discuss Fahrenheit 9/11 as film. The goal of this thread should be restricted to discussing the aesthetics and craft of Fahrenheit 9/11 and, therefore, ought to stay away from discussions of the broader issues about the Bush administration, Afghanistan, Iraq, and the war on terrorism that are raised therein. Posts, e.g., could raise and interact with some of these themes:

(1) What is the genre of this film? Moore is conventionally known as a documentary filmmaker but can this film be rightly classified as a documentary? If so, why? If not, why not and what is it?

(2) In what ways does Moore use images and narrative to weave together his argument? Again, as a reminder, the discussion should not get sidetracked into debates on the issues in the film; the question is how are the issues explored. Of course, some subjective judgment as to whether Moore is accurate or inaccurate may be raised but only insofar as relates to the craft employed. If Moore is deceptive or if he is telling the truth, how do we know? Issues such as film as ideology, film as propaganda, film as truth, and selectivity in film are all relevant for discussion.

(3) To what other films might Moore's documentary be compared? Or, is Moore's documentary a unique step in the history of filmmaking? Here, I'm also thinking, without prejudicing the debate, that it may be relevant to discuss other politically charged films by such directors as Griffith, Eisenstein, Riefenstahl, etc. (even if the film is not a documentary).

(4) What are some of the aesthetic values of the film? Is Moore's use of the camera, editing, and such innovative or banal?

(5) How does Moore's documentary stand up against other documentaries on this or related subjects? For instance, the abundance of documentaries that have aired on television or in theatres since 9/11, e.g., "Deadline Iraq", "Generation of Hate", "Generation Ex-Saddam", "Control Room", etc. etc.

Finally, as I have not seen the movie, I'll stay out of this discussion and simply lurk to see if we get some informed and interesting posts. Who knows maybe somebody will write something that will peak my interest and I'll have to go watch this film...

Oh, I reserve the right to pop in and comment if I think the posts are getting sidetracked... of course, as I'm not a moderator, I can't enforce my opinion but I figure it'll help to keep things focused... for Knipp's sake. Also, feel free to raise other issues that I've not mentioned as long as they conform to the parameters laid out in the first paragraph.