Introduction
Bowling for columbine is a documentary by Michael Moore made in 2002, a documentary that explores the situation that lead to the columbine high school massacre, which occurred on April 20th 1999 in Littleton Denver Colorado, involving the killing of 13 people and 20 more injured. 18 years old Eric Harris and 17 year old Dylan klebold from Michigan were responsible for this attack that broke hearts of all American citizen. The killers had planned to detonate a propane bomb in the school canteen, when the bomb failed to explode they entered the school grounds and started firing with Tec 9 sub machine guns and 15 minutes later they turned the guns on the selves. There were many reasons developed to explain their actions; they had been bullied, they were social out castes, goths members of the trench coat Mafia and they were also influenced by violent video
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Michael Moore an independent America film maker, wrote. Directed and produced the documentary, which was released in 2003. In the document he investigates the massacre, more predominantly the expansion of guns and the high homicide rate in America and pose the question, “what causes the levels of gun violence in America” Moore tries to explain the shockingly high number of gun deaths in the united states by using interviews with a number of different people. Instead of giving his reasons why he believes that gun violence causes so many deaths, Michael allows the viewer to observe a variety of opinions on the causes; violent movies, video games, divorce but he claims to show that the causes are deeper than this and explores the very nature of American society. Could it be that the freedoms ate the heart of American society could be the causes of the deaths
In the 2002 documentary Bowling for Columbine, American political activist and filmmaker Michael Moore sets out to explore the primary causes of the 1999 Columbine Highschool massacre, as well as the roots of gun violence in the United States in his trademark provocative yet satirical manner. Bowling for Columbine takes a deep and often disconcerting investigation into the motives of two Colorado student shooters, responsible for the deaths of over 12 people at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, and examines other gun-related issues as well. From obtaining free guns at a bank, to reviewing America’s violent history, and interviewing a variety of people, Moore demonstrates that the conventional answers of violent national history and entertainment, as well as poverty are inadequate of causing this violence, for other nations share the same factors without the same levels of carnage. In order to arrive at a possible explanation, Moore takes on a deeper inspection of America’s culture of fear, and violence in a nation with widespread gun ownership. Ultimately, the documentary implies that the high incidence of gun deaths in America is caused by the deadly combination of cultural paranoia and easy accessible firearms that is, to some extent, effectively established through rhetorical techniques of ethos, logos, and pathos.
The Columbine High School Massacre was a school shooting that took place on April 20th, 1999 in Columbine, Colorado. It was a highly planned attacked that included a bomb to confused firefighters, propane tanks that were made into bombs to blow up the cafeteria, 99 explosive device, and some car bombs. The masterminds were Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, they were both seniors. Collaboratively they murdered 12 students and 1 teacher. Aside from the kills they injured 21 other people, and an additional 3 more while trying to escape the horrendous event. After their killing rampage, the murderers committed suicide.
Almost twenty years ago, on April 20th, 1999 just seemed like any other regular day of that time. Everyone went about their regular routine; parents going to work, children going to school, young adults going to colleges. But two high school seniors of Columbine High had no intentions of going about their regular days. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold entered their school with mind made of never leaving that school again alive but not before committing the most heinous and bloody massacre ever committed in the United States history. There has been bombing where the death toll was significantly higher than Columbine shooting. But what made this tragedy so terrifying was this was not any terrorist or radicalized person trying to avenge authorities; these were two teenagers killing their fellow classmates and teachers. Something that none thinks about, it was like a parent’s worst nightmare coming true. Eric and Dylan killed a total of thirteen people, students and teachers combined, and seriously injuring over twenty others . This shooting sent shockwaves across the country, but most evidently sent criminal justice community scrambling looking for answers into why these two boys did what they did? What happened that made them mass murderers? To explore these questions criminologists started applying crime theories to the both their present life and their upbringing.
America experiences more mass shootings than any other country in the world. Mass shootings have prompted Americans into purchasing more firearms out of fear of outside treachery or violence that is frequently shown in the media. Violence in America, as well as a "need for protection" against violent entanglements, has increased throughout history, providing properties such as gun manufacturing companies with a higher level of attention and financial elevation. In Michael Moore's documentary, Bowling for Columbine; the film portrays a strong connection between violence and the media with the latter creating a culture of fear through fear mongering; spreading terror across the country and, in turn, inspiring desperate action against violence which could eventually lead to more trouble than progress. In the United States, citizens are maintaining the status quo due to the popularity of the American image, the overwhelming amount of gun enthusiasts, the lack of gun regulations, and the large amount of heavily
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The first misconception is that the social cliques that occur in high schools across the nation has a role in this tragedy. Columbine is not simply a school shooting but is rather a shooting that the gunmen chose the school as their tool. School shooters tend to act impulsively and attack the targets of their rage mainly the students and faculty. Harris and Klebold planned for a year and dreamed much bigger. The school served as a means to a grander end, to terrorize the entire nation by attacking a symbol of American life. The shooters talk in numerous video tapes about their act being bigger than the Oklahoma city bombings. They boasted about making sure there bloody performance was bigger and more memorable. Klebold is particular was quoted as bragging about inflicting “the most deaths in U.S. history. Columbine was
Michael Moore’s flawed 2002 expository documentary Bowling for Columbine is ineffective in its goals to open Americas eyes to its very serious gun violence problem. Michael Moore sets out to uncover why the United States can’t seem to end its devastating and reoccurring mass shootings, by using deception as its primary tool of persuasion and effect, Moore attempts to vilify pro-gun activists. The humorous documentary frequently highpoints controversial decisions and actions made by the then President of the National Rifle Association Charlton Heston. Bowling also raises issues such as the ease of buying pointless high powered assault weapons just about anywhere, and American media’s film first ask later attitude towards gun crimes and social and racial issues. Americans are left even more paranoid and hostile than ever before, something the documentary should have set out to end.
Bowling For Columbine is a well-directed documentary that informs people about gun violence in America. Michael Moore is successful in showing that America has been going through many gun tragedies; and portrays the sense that America’s problems are out of control. He conveys this through informative facts, images, and comparisons.
Bowling for Columbine is a documentary made by the filmmaker, Michael Moore in 2002. This documentary looks into the mysterious circumstances leading to the Columbine massacre in 1999, in which, 2 students, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, aged 17 and 18 years, in their final year of high school, had killed 13 (12 students and 1 teachers), injuring many, before turning the gun on themselves. By utilising satirical, but persuasive dialogue and visuals, Michael Moore delves within the reasons of America’s high gun violence using the Columbine massacre at its base. Throughout the documentary, Michael Moore retains quite the neutral perspective, but, having been born in Michigan (A gun-loving state), Michael has a history with guns, having won
In the documentary Bowling for Columbine by Michael Moore, talks about the root cause of gun violence in the United States of America. The documentary shows how more than 11, 127 people die every year from guns whereas 381 in Germany, 255 in France, 165 in Canada, 68 in the United Kingdom, 65 in Australia, and 39 in Japan. Many say that violent movies, video games, and violent rock artists such as Marilyn Manson contribute to gun violence in America but violent movies are seen in France, violent video games are from Japan, and Marilyn Manson is heard in Germany. Also, guns in America are easy to obtain as in the documentary Moore got a free gun as he signed up for an account and only required to get a background check. However, fear is the root cause of America gun violence as people fear getting killed it leads to others getting killed. For example, in the documentary Moore shows that the media promotes fear in the American news program as they only focus on negative news such as violence and death such as in the news they state, “Tonight in South Central, a drive-by shooting”. It makes people fear certain places such as going to South Central as they portray it to be a dangerous place to go to as the news shows all the negative things that happen there such as crimes which make people fear to go there. Where in Canada news are positive and focus on what is going around town.
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold changed the way schools handle threat precautions. The secrets they left us; the boys being outcasts, bullies, and the trench coat mafia, leave us with a horrible tragedy to deal with. Which are just some of the proven myths in the shooting of Columbine.
Bowling for Columbine is a documentary about how guns are a bad influence and pollute the mind, rather than supplying safety, which is the real reason behind the possession of a gun being legalised. Michael Moore, the film maker, wrote and produced the film to emphasise his point on why guns should never be sold or purchased again. The main story Moore focused on was one that was absolutely shocking and could astonish you from start to finish: The Shooting at Columbine High School. The ordinary and average school was put through an attack by two absent minded children who destructively killed 1 teacher and 12 students, not including the many more they injured. Moore also tried interviewing people whose lives had been affected due to guns.
On Tuesday, April 20 1999, Columbine High School located in Columbine Colorado an unfortunate massacre happened and many teens lost their lives. The two students responsible for this incident were Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. These two senior students were responsible for killing twelve students and one teacher; they were also responsible for injuring an additional twenty one students on their rampage. A few other students were injured while trying to escape the school. Columbine is considered the fourth deadliest school massacre in history. It was said to be that there was not one target but everyone was a target on Eric and Dylan’s rampage through the high school
Michael Moore was born on April 23rd 1954. He’s An American film maker, author and a liberal political commentator. He has directed and produced four of the eight highest grossing documentaries of all time. In 2005 Time Magazine named Moore one of the world’s ‘Hundred most influential people’. The documentary ‘Bowling for Columbine’ explores the possible causes for the Columbine High School massacre. It has won the ‘Best Documentary feature’ at both the Academy and Independent Spirit Awards, together with the César award for ‘best foreign films’.
Surely you can’t receive a free gun at a bank, in America you can. Michael Moore wrote, directed and produced the documentary Bowling For Columbine (2002). This film deconstructs the massacre at Columbine High School and other school shootings. The impacts that may be causing these shooting in America ae thing such as the media, politics, gun history, racism and many other important aspects to achieve a reaction from Americans to research what is the cause of these shooting.