WHERE TO INVADE NEXT
US, 2016, 120 minutes, Colour.
Michael Moore.
Directed by Michael Moore.
For a while, documentary-maker, Michael Moore, was a hero, on television and beginning to make feature films, especially his portrait of his home town, Flint, Michigan, Roger and Me, and the car industry and its collapse.
Then he became headlines with controversial documentaries, especially with his Oscar-winning film about guns and students in schools, Bowling for Columbine. He followed this up, winning the Palme d’Or at Cannes with his political film, Fahrenheit 911, America after September 2001. Further documentaries were Sicko, comparing America’s health-care system with the benefits of other countries from France to Cuba, and Capitalism: A Love Story.
But that was six years ago. Now, with this new film, it sounds as if he is going to take on American militarism, American involvement after World War II (and he does list and give visuals of American defeats after 1945, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan…). But, actually, this film is much more positive and is certainly not what we might have expected it to portray.
The ever shambling, lumbering, heavy Michael Moore, shabby clothes and hat, making him a character with characteristics rather than a glib-looking and sounding smooth interviewer, has decided that he should invade quite a number of countries but not militeraly. Rather, he takes a look at some of the significant things that these countries are doing, matters that could well be transferred to the United States to make it a better place – something like re-shaping the American Dream.
So, this is a jolly Michael Moore, off to Europe and Tunisia, with his camera crew, making most of the situations look casual, listening sometimes with astonishment, although arranging some more formal interviews, especially with the President of Slovenia.
His interviews and his exploration of themes will probably make many audiences sit up and take notice. Despite problems in the various countries, some of their social policies have been very successful.
He meets up in Italy with a couple who explain the amount of paid holiday time they have and their possibilities for travelling; he meets owners of factories and managers of factories who are comfortable with higher pay, benefits like going home for lunch and cooking, elimination of stress for greater productivity. By contrast, when he moves to France, he shows gourmet meals in close-up and their preparation, only for us to discover that he is visiting a school and this is the chef and the lunches for the students whose lunch-hour is the equivalent of class enabling them to be more discerning about food and health. He does show audiences, by contrast, the typical American school lunch, where health does not seem to be a preoccupation.
Among other countries in Europe that he visits are Finland, checking their education system where homework is virtually eliminated enabling the students to be free, develop their interests and hobbies; and Slovenia where tertiary education is free, with a number of American students going there to study at the University. It is industry in Germany that he investigates, factories which are salubrious, with windows and light, with good conditions for workers and better productivity. Portugal is famous in having abolished criminal drug legislation and Moore has an interesting chat with a rather laid-back government official and interviews with local police, being reminded that with the decriminalisation of drugs, crime has gone down in Portugal.
When he visits Norway and goes to a prison, many audiences who feel that prisoners should be punished and feel the punishment will think that the prison is something of a comfortable motel. And there are only four guards. Interviews with the prisoners highlight government interest and policy is in human dignity and rehabilitation. And just when vindictive audience attitudes might be on the rise, Moore anticipates the criticism and visits a maximum security prison in Norway, presenting, tongue-in-cheek, music videos sung by the guards welcoming people to the prison. But, once again, it is a matter of human dignity, not revenge. This is highlighted by an interview with a father whose son was killed by Brevik and who went to the trial but does not believe in an eye for an eye Justice, lowering people to the level of the criminal.
There is a surprise visit to Tunisia, praising the role of women, their presence in Parliament, and the availability of sex education, abortion since 1973, and the philosophy that the government should not interfere in people’s private lives. Iceland is another port of call, a reflection on the financial collapse and its devastation, the small nation’s recovery, the trial and imprisonment of rogue bankers, an interview with the first woman president and a golf game with three female CEOs and their observations about the role of women in Iceland.
Moore wants to be optimistic, that change is possible despite the odds. He remembers the Berlin Wall coming down, his presence there with a friend, people scraping at the wall, then a hole, people escaping, the collapse of the wall, and change and unification in Germany. He also remembers the end of apartheid, the freeing of Nelson Mandela and his becoming President.
At the end, Moore makes the point that most of those improvements that he valued and wants to take back to America after his invasion all had precedents in American history and the American experience – and they need re-discovery.
1. Michael Moore, the media personality and commentator, the career on television, his making feature films? Winning awards? Issues and controversies?
2. As a personality, audience knowing him, liking him or not? The past, his causes, especially Flint, Michigan? His being critical? Criticism of his lack of evidence, his subjective approach, superficial or not? Yet were half of what he presented was true, this would make an enormous impact? His shambling, lumbering gait and size, clothes, careless, manner and walk, his talk to camera, with the interviewees? A character?
3. The title, expectations – and different perspectives from what was expected?
4. An invasion for good, for ideas, in contrast to American attitudes, ideas of behaviour? His taking the American flag, talking, taking ideas and planting the flag? At the end, noting that all these ideas had a grounding in the United States and experience?
5. His intention, reshaping the American dream?
6. Flights, travel, maps, the production crew, photographers, the meetings and appointments? The range of countries, people met? Anticipation of critique – especially of crime and punishment in prisons in Norway?
7. The visit to Italy, the relaxed atmosphere, the couple and their talk, their life and relationship, holidays and travel? The managers of the factories and owners of the companies? The people working in the factories, sewing, the motorbikes? The family owners and their relaxed attitude, the manager of the factory? The holidays, the meals, going home to cook, the extra money, the extra holidays? The issues of stress and the lack of stress, productivity? And many discovering that they didn’t want really to live in the US?
8. Travel to France, looking at the food and the cooking and presentation, the chef – and the school? Moore having meals with the children, discussing with the chef, the meal as class time, learning, discerning healthy food, the cola discussion, the chef not eating hamburgers? The menus, the staff discussing monthly menus? The contrast with the visuals of American meals, especially for schools?
9. Slovenia, university courses as free, the discussions with the students, the campus, the Americans in Slovenia, discussions with the staff, the attitudes, the courses? The 45 minute discussion with the President?
10. Finland, the discussion with the students, with the Minister of Education, with teachers, the nature of the courses, the freedom for the children? The issue of no homework or minimal homework? Using time profitably, hobbies, interests? The students who had done in exchange studies in the US?
11. Germany, industrial policy, the nature of the factories, the windows, open, health, productivity, discussions with the industrialists?
12. Norway, the prisons, the visit to the prison, the look of the prison, the loss of freedom but freedom within the prison, the emphasis on human dignity, the interviews, the different criminals, their talk, the rooms, not getting into fights, no sexual harassment? The four guards and their relaxed attitude? The emphasis on rehabilitation, study? Audience response to crime and punishment? Anticipating this criticism with the visit to the maximum prison, the humour of the video with all the guards singing the lyrics, encouraging trust in the prisons? The criminal types, trust? The issue of Brevik, talking with the father, his son dead, describing the experience, his philosophy, not an eye for an eye, not descending to the level of the killer? The discussions with the authorities?
13. Portugal, the issue of drugs, the history, the relaxed official, his disbelief about American penalties, the police, no arrests, less violent society, the police against capital punishment?
14. The visit to Tunisia, women, in the Parliament? 2011 and the spring, the protests and their effect? The authority and his stepping down in favour of women? Sexual education, freedom of abortion since 1973, attitudes towards homosexuality and privacy? The government not intervening in private areas? A Muslim country?
15. Iceland, the issue of finance, hard hit by the collapse, the harsh experience? The photos of the bankers, the fact that they were arrested, charged, tried, sent to prison – far far away? The role of women, the first woman elected as President, the flashbacks to her campaign, her policies, her reflections? The three CEOs, women on boards, one as a token, two as back up, three having positive contribution? Their playing golf with Moore? The prosecutor, the discussion with him, his getting the advice of the American lawyer, Michael Moore leaving the dossiers about the American bankers? The contrast with the American bankers
their freedom, except that the man with a Muslim name was sent to jail?
16. Back to Berlin, his friend, the visuals of the cutting down of the wall, people chipping away at the wall, the hole, people coming through, the collapse of the wall? Walking along the remnants and reminiscing?
17. Reminiscing about the wall coming down, and the end of apartheid, optimistic because of the possibilities for change despite the seeming impossibility?
18. A more congenial Michael Moore, going home with ideas, his pointing out that these freedoms were in the American Constitution, Moore citing precedents for this kind of behaviour in the US, the role of women, Michigan abolishing capital punishment, government care, past University fees – a range of possibilities?
