The
monetary systemÕs recent complete meltdown gives Michael Moore plentiful
filmmaking fodder and a topicality beyond any marketerÕs wildest dreams,
and with Capitalism: A Love Story he rises to the occasion packing his usual
combination of mirth and gravitas. Sure, naysayers will ask why a man who
lives in a five-million-dollar home would lambaste the system that made it
possible for him to buy it. Yet MooreÕs on-camera demeanor and intricate
story lines seem sincere. Would he give it all up for the poor? We may
never know, but his savage indictments of the superrich and their ilk are
endlessly fascinating to observe.
Capitalism is chock-full of heroes and
villains, and the villains, not surprisingly, are always more interesting.
MooreÕs convincing premise is that the entire United States of America is
run by one main monstrous entity, Goldman Sachs, a corporation so venal that
they coerced the U.S. government into picking apart and dissembling their
main rivals, Lehman Bros. and Bear Stearns. Somewhere, Bohemian GroveÕs
circle of aged white men is tightening ranks.
How did the horror
begin? Blame Ronald Reagan, a stooge pitchman for corporate America who
countered the sour ÒDebbie DownerÓ realism of Jimmy Carter and promised
prosperity for all. The Òfor allÓ was of course at the expense of the
middle class, who fell lower and lower into a pit of debt and misery,
lapping at the tiny trickle of trickle-down economics. Bill Clinton
nourished the deal with the devil, and the G.W. Bush years remain their own
sad record. According to Moore, the jury is still out on Barack Obama,
whose largest corporate presidential campaign contributor was Ñ you guessed
it Ñ Goldman Sachs.
There is good, too. We
meet the heroes of the tale, the common folk who rise up and take over the
factories theyÕve been fired from, such as the Alvarado Bakery in Los
Angeles, where everyone is an equal owner. Moore lionizes Franklin
Roosevelt, whose second Bill of Rights, acted upon by Europe and Japan, has
eluded the U.S. to this day. The concentration of wealth in the hands of 1
per cent of the population is a scandal that demands an uprising, according
to our not-so-impartial documentarian. The rich, he says, would not have
been left to drown in their golf-club-adjacent homes during Hurricane
Katrina.
Is communism a better
way? The Islamic barter system? Is there any redemptive possibility within
capitalism? The answers are not explored here, nor are the collusive acts
of other governments. Interestingly, Moore never advocates for full-on
socialism, but we know he likely favors this direction, judging by his body
of chosen work. Meanwhile some of the filmÕs narrative feels incomplete, as
in the family evicted from their home built on longtime family land. Did
they fall back on their mortgage because of rising adjustable rates or just
not pay their fair share? WeÕre not given this information, and that dilutes
the impact of their story.
Aided immeasurably by
voiceover, vintage clips and a resonant score (from Baez to Beethoven), Capitalism:
A Love Story
interweaves narratives of despair and abuse, yet a degree of restraint,
even, pervades the film and keeps us engaged and watching.
The
Bush years will go down in history as a low point for Western society, but
another dynasty of despots looks to be coming off even worse. The powerful
new documentary Kimjongilia shines a spotlight on the North Korean stateÕs brainwashing
efforts to control its populace and subvert democracy and freedom. Part
history piece and part examination of the current state of North Korea, the
film is a fine companion piece to last yearÕs Yodok Stories, which examined the
brutality of North KoreaÕs Yodok prison camp, where the three-generation
rule comes into play: When youÕre convicted of a crime, your parents are
jailed as well, as are your children. ThatÕs one way to squelch dissent.
Still, the people
rebel, flee to China, do whatever they can to escape the pitiless regime of
the tyrant. Kimjongilia elucidates how the current dictator, Kim Jong Il, carries
on the cult of personality established in North Korea when he was chosen as
successor by his father, Kim Il Sung. The tale is relentlessly tragic, yet
there is a sense of hope and determination among those who have escaped and
who are alive to tell the world of the horrors across the borders. Director
N.C. Heikin gives us a thorough grounding in North Korean culture, society and
politics, tracing the trajectory of North Korea from the Japanese
occupation of 1910 to today. HeikinÕs hypnotizing use of archival musicals,
pageants and skits originally designed to express the glory of the state
are so fantastical as to become hallmarks of high kitsch.
Much like the vintage
footage in Capitalism: A Love Story, this archival material shows us the extremes
used by governments to indoctrinate their citizenry. Stadiums filled with
thousands of waving hands and flags in perfect unison eerily mimic the
striking GM workers waving from plant windows in the Õ30s. Both of these
fine films deserve a few hours of your time. You may never be the same
after viewing them, and the world may be the better for it.
Capitalism: A Love
Story