Anna and I saw Fahrenheit 9/11 yesterday at The Tower Theater which is one of two local cinemas that regularly screen independent and alternative films in Sacramento.

Moore's movie is a powerful, moving document which brought me near to tears in several passages. I say that with all humility, and it was good to be a in a theater filled with individuals with similar reactions. I mean I could hear people crying and blowing their noses during some of the more harrowing moments onscreen. and yet, despite the film's enormous power I wonder if it will only talk to those already of like-minded views, and will not touch those who are in support of this administration's willful recklessness.

I've read and heard many criticisms of the movie, but I've not heard any critic of Moore dispute the filmmaker's charges. the only criticisms I've read are personal attacks against Moore and his film as agitprop. every leader has his apologists. I do not know if those apologists will dismiss this film as nothing more than the ravings of a Bush-hater since the movie, because it is a movie and not a long, critical work, only touches upon its points.

but I would argue Moore was too kind to Bush, Cheney et al. the film has its flaws to be sure, it only skims the surface, Moore could have gone more for the jugular re: Bush's motives for waging war (which is examined but not fully analyzed), our press' gung ho attitude for the war (which is touched upon but not investigated), the absence of truthful journalism (I was surprised by many of the images since I had not seen most of the footage Moore uses broadcast on American news agencies), and a more fully-fleshed analysis of the Bush/Saudi link.

I could go on however what puzzles me is the lack of outrage in our electorate. Cheney last weekend snarls at Patrick Leahy to "go fuck himself" then declares he felt better about it afterwards is alarming not in Cheney's feelings (after all I am glad he feels so good) or in his choice of words, but how no one has really, even outspoken critics of this administration, censured Cheney and Bush for being so arrogant. need I remind people how Kerry a few months back stumping on the campaign trail was recorded as saying something along the lines of "yeah, those Republicans are really awful" and how the Republican leadership were outraged at such language and made their anger well-known.

well, I'll file it away under WHAT THE FUCK and move on. at the end of the movie I was feeling very patriotic. Anna and I later went to her mother's house for BBQ and fireworks, and I marveled that even with this administration in power Michael Moore can still make a film heavily critical of it, and how in the U.S.A we can view the movie without government censure, yet.