Bowling for Columbine Deconstruction

1029 Words5 Pages
Bowling for Columbine Michael Moore’s award winning documentary of 2002, Bowling for Columbine, sets out to determine why America has such a high rate of domestic gun violence. Cunningly exploiting interview techniques when speaking with Marilyn Manson, Moore attacks the news media, suggesting a prevailing culture of fear which exists among the American public. Similarly, in another interview with Matt Stone, the director highlights the interviewee’s sense of trust and power, this time confronting the fatal flaws which are evident among the American government and education systems. The director conducts interviews in order to aid his portrayal of different groups and individuals. When Moore conducts interviews with people whom he intends to foreground as trustworthy and intelligent, the atmosphere is very relaxed and laid back. This atmosphere is generated by the comfort which both Marilyn Manson and Matt Stone express physically in their interviews, and also by their easy going nature and speech. They also mutually convey the idea that America’s culture of fear is chiefly responsible for the domestic gun violence which the text revolves around. These opinions, when expressed by people other than the director, are reinforced in the eyes of the audience. Whilst effective and persuasive, these interviews are severely deceptive. Cleverly silencing any footage which may impede his argument, Moore creates stronger negative representations of the news media and government. When the audience is introduced to the interview with Matt Stone, both the interviewer and interviewee are settled, relaxed, and talking casually. Because the audience does not see Moore approaching Stone, they are positioned to believe that this kind of conversation is commonplace. Moore is therefore represented as an average American which the audience can relate to and trust. After talking
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