There is too much buzz about Michael Moore’s latest project “Fahrenheit 911.” This film has Democrats proclaiming “Fahrenheit 911” as a visual masterpiece and a revelation of truth to the masses, while the Republicans are scrambling to debunk the film’s allegations. Moore himself has repeatedly appeared on talk shows and press conferences encouraging the frenzy. Columnists have been churning out articles analyzing every aspect of the movie.
But with all the articles, reviews and analysis of the film, I have yet to see our attention directed to one major point. For every article written, regardless of the point the author is making and regardless of the author’s political stance, this film gets more and more forcefully propelled into the public’s eye.
The result: ticket sales increase, Moore gets his picture on another magazine and, most importantly, Moore’s pocketbook gets fatter.
Moore definitely had a political agenda in mind when making this movie, but more than likely, his ultimate goal is to take this to the bank. With all the hype, Moore will really be rolling in the green. Moore is creating his own cash flow by making a film accusing an administration of starting a war for its own financial gain. He is using images of dead American soldiers to beef up his bank account.
If Moore truly wants to accomplish something positive with his movie, he can donate all proceeds to charities, or even ship goods to our soldiers in Iraq.
Regardless of one’s position on Fahrenheit 911, we should be aware that it’s about money more than truth and politics. Since money drives the cinema, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. But we should not forget that the more hype we contribute, the bigger the paycheck that Moore receives.
Barry Kirsch is a senior chemical engineering major.