FAHRENHEIT 9/11 DVD REVIEW (8 OUT OF 10)

I certainly do not believe that Michael Moore is the greatest thing since sliced bread or that Fahrenheit 9/11 is the finest documentary I have ever seen, but I do believe that it is a film worth watching with an open mind.

Fahrenheit 9/11 begins with the regurgitation of the many controversies that surrounded George W. Bush’s victory in the 2000 presidential election and continues by showing Bush’s less than pleasant inauguration. The rest of the film follows the numerous follies of the Bush administration in dealing with the 9/11 tragedy and the war that would soon ensue. A great portion of this film is dedicated to proposing that Bush used 9/11 to promote a war against Iraq which has so far has showed little, if any, signs of usefulness. Moore brings to our attention many interesting connections between the Bush family, the Saudi royal family, and the Bin Ladens that one cannot help but notice when asking why we went to war with Iraq instead of the more obvious culprit of the 9/11 attacks, Saudi Arabia. And even further, was a war even necessary?

Beware of Michael Moore, however. He is an extremely intelligent man with an extremely opinionated point of view. The reason that Fahrenheit 9/11 isn’t a great documentary is because Mr. Moore too often allows his opinions to create his work rather than creating work that is a completely honest reflection of the way things are. Fahrenheit 9/11 should be approached with caution because it tiptoes on the fine line between fiction and non-fiction. It is important to keep in mind that while Fahrenheit 9/11 contains a great deal of interesting facts and powerful arguments, it is crafted very precisely in a way which is meant to achieve a particular reaction.

The DVD of Fahrenheit 9/11 which is being released today contains a few minutes of extra footage to update its viewers on the situation in Iraq. In addition, the DVD contains a number of excellent bonus features dealing with pre-war Iraq, Iraqi Americans and members of the Bush administration responding to the 9/11 commissions. I found many of the added features to be less entertaining but more informative and factually intriguing than a good portion of the clips that made the final film. One feature that is quite powerful includes a selection of interviews conducted with various Iraqi people as the war was beginning to appear inevitable. The Iraqis did not show any fear and seemed to have a realistic grasp about what this war is really all about - oil.

Whether you’re a liberal or a conservative, or you don’t even really care, Fahrenheit 9/11 will have you and your friends talking about some of the issues that face our nation today rather than discussing how wasted you were on Thursday night, which is definitely a good thing. Fahrenheit 9/11 is a bit on the long side but you will be thinking and laughing most of the way through it. Even if you already saw the film in the theatres, this DVD is a great pickup thanks to a good 45 minutes of fascinating bonus features.