The early, less talented Bowling for Columbine!, 12 February 2004
Author: Skeptic459 (
[email protected]) from Auckland, New Zealand.
This is a very good documentary. However, greatness eludes KOA because it really does not have much of a message. The most interesting aspect of this film is the archive footage that is given to the viewer. It is fascinating to watch footage of the actual killers instead of having to watch bad t.v movies. Everyone is here looking crazy and demented. From the chilling Ted Bundy, to the very confused Sirhan Sirhan, to the repugnant Laurence Bittaker. You see them all in the flesh. The problem with the documentary is that it is all to scattered. It should have concentrated on fewer people. It seems kinda shallow because it covers so many different criminals. To be fair, they do have an interview with serial killer, Edward Kemper, but it is so brief it does not add any depth to the film. It just feels like that it is to little to late.
If you are like me and are fascinated by the psychopathology of psychopathic freaks you are in for a real treat! This is a documentary for true crime fans like myself and to them I heartily recommend this film. Be warned all of those of a sensitive sensibility for there are moments of this film that are truly sickening. Some of it made me cringe and I feel I am a pretty hardened viewer. In this film you really see people being fired upon. In fact, there is a shot of people leaving the courtroom and throwing up after they hear what 'pliers' Bittaker did to his victims.
The writers attempt clumsily to bring a political aspect to the film so that it does not look like what it is. That is exploitative entertainment in the same vein as 'the Worlds Scariest Police Chases.' They comment on how how guns are affecting American culture. Charlton Heston and his mob, the NRA, can argue the point all they like. If guns are easily available in a nation, this is therefore going to affect the culture of that nation. Although, I certainly do not think the answer to America's gun problems is to take away its guns. I think it is more a problem of the actual culture. Michael Moore explores the 'why?' Of gun murders in America through his brilliant film 'Bowling for Columbine.' This is where KOA fails. It is adding absolutely nothing to the subject.
First it proclaims that guns might be a problem. Then it starts to investigate spree killers. Men who have climbed to the tops of buildings to shoot a whole bunch of people. It even investigates a girl who shot and killed the innocent public because allegedly she did not like mondays. I'm not sure if I believe that. Then the director begins to investigate serial killers. Stating that we now have serial killers because of the decadent nature of western culture. Huh? They state that that western culture is in decline and that society is falling to pieces. Again, huh?
In Bowling for Columbine, Moore states that America has a culture of fear. From Bowling it implies that much of the blame for this comes from the media. Moore shows that many Americans have fears that are just not that well founded. Remember the killer bee's? This leads to a kind of cultural paranoia. I think Moore is absolutely right. The paranoid fears of America knows no bounds and September 11th has just made everything much worse! If you disagree that America can be paranoid then remember the red menace. Remember communist blacklisting? Was that really the threat it was made out to be?
This film just adds to the paranoia. They show shots of sex shops and punks. This does not mean that western culture is in decline. It means that society is now freer. That not everything that is considered abnormal is repressed. The 1950's mentality is just not healthy. If anything, American's should be proud they have punks and sex shops. It shows that even though the majority may not agree with these aspects of their culture, they still respect the first amendment enough to let people freely express themselves.
This film seems to encourage tougher sentence's. But what good will that do in a revolving door prison system? Why has America got the highest incarceration rate in the developed world? I believe it is because of mandatory minimum sentances for silly offences. This film does not address why America has a revolving door in its prisons. Instead it goes for the easy way out. KOA shows some footage then says, 'see isn't that terrible! Our culture is falling apart!' From this film you would get the feeling that a serial killer is around very corner. That you should wear a bulletproof vest for protection. This is simply not true and spree and serial killers are relatively uncommon. So we have an exploitative film that is just encouraging paranoia without actually looking for any real answers. They could have said that part of the reason that killers are the way they are is because of their history. They simply do not feel particularly feel evil one day and decide to kill a bunch of people. But this is typical of the American culture, the focus being on punishment rather than on understanding. The 'why' is always sidestepped for the 'what', 'where' and the 'how.' Ever notice that?
Just a couple of things before I finish. If you read about Sirhan Sirhan , Mark David Chapman and John Hinckley. They all seem to be connected. Sirhan Sirhan cannot remember the assassination and was found to be easily hypnotizable. Similar aspects have been found in the other two cases. Were these guys programmed assassins? Spooky. If anyone has any wild theories, please email me. The other thing is that even though I am against the death penalty, Bittaker is so disgusting, he certainly deserves ol' sparky. 7 out of 10 for the really interesting archive footage. If you can find this film, watch it!
Just as a postscript, at the time of writing this, some teenagers have been arrested for planning another Columbine like, high school massacre. I don't agree that guns should be taken away from adults. But something really has to be done about people under 18 having access to deadly weapons.
