Been there, seen that...

...loved every minute of it.

Well, "loved" may not be the right word. Although Farenheit 9/11 is a wonderful entertainment in part, there are also some deeply disturbing images and ideas portrayed. Since even the disturbing parts reinforce my biases, it might be more accurate to say that I appreciated every minute of it. But there's big fun to be had, too, so, yeah, I loved a lot of it.

Having been pretty thoroughly immersed in left wing analyses of post 9/11 America, there wasn't anything particularly new to me in the film. I already knew about the Bush/Saudi relationships, the impromptu export of Bin Ladens during the flight ban, the rush to action that produced a seriously flawed US PATRIOT act, etc., etc. There will be some eyes opened, though, even among those who are already skeptical of the Bush administration. The Brilliant and Beautiful Bride of Upper Left, for instance, who generally shares my ideological slant and who is far better informed about current events than the average citizen, as a consumer of a couple daily papers a day and, of course, this blog and many of its sources, was just the same driven to ask several times "Is that true?" And, in fact, on every occasion the material she wondered about was documentably true.

Some have objected to the presentation of those true facts, claiming that they've been edited and emphasized in ways that obscure "the truth" in a larger sense, and there's some merit to that argument, I suppose. Because the film is, ultimately, an entertainment, Moore does take some liberty in his editing and emphasis, but almost invariably for comic effect. Humor, after all, is often grounded in exaggeration, but it works best if there's a recognizably factual ground behind the exaggeration. Moore knows that, and uses that knowledge effectively. The audience I was part of was laughing out loud, though, because we knew that the subjects of Moore's riducule are, in fact, ridiculous.

There's more serious stuff, too, that's presented without much exaggeration at all, because it's pointless to exaggerate the depth of suffering that inevitably accompanies war. It's also rare to see it so graphically presented on a big screen. However ghastly a bombing mission might look on your TV, it's nothing compared to the same event depicted on a screen that fills your range of vision, with a sound system that vibrates your bones with the sounds of the blasts. I've seen the real thing. TV is, maybe, 5% of the real thing. This film gets closer to 50%. The difference is meaningful.

In the end, I have to agree with the 'R' rating that Farenheit 9/11 recieved. I think younger teenagers should see the movie, but I think they should see it with a parent or another responsible person that can help them process what they've seen. In fact, it's a film probably best seen in the company of friends, because it's bound to inspire conversation.

At the suburban multiplex where I saw the film, the conversation actually started among strangers in the men's room after the film (those 32 ounce sodas really do challenge the plumbing). Guys will know how strange that is. We don't typically talk in the men's room. I've never heard spontaneous political debate (well, debate may not be the right word. There was little dissent, unless it was on the degree of outrage against Bushco, expressed) errupt among strangers in a public toilet in my life, which is an indication of the power of this film.

And it wasn't a downtown, lefty Seattle audience. The people who were wrapped around the block in order to sit in a darkened auditorium on one of the most beautiful summer days of the year (and for those of us who live under grey skies 11 months a year, that's a significant sacrifice) appeared to be a real cross section of middle American, northwest suburban varian. They were rewarded with a film that was puncuated by their open laughter and spontaneous applause, and closed to the kind of ovation usually reserved for live performances.

In other words, for whatever reason, this film is reaching a far wider audience than I think anyone expected, and it's ultimate affect on the American body politic may outstrip expectations as well.

The wingers have drawn some big guns against Michael Moore and Fahrenheit 9/11. So far they seem to be shooting blanks, but they're bound to keep shooting. They're scared. Having seen the movie, I can only say they should be.