Columbine Documentary Techniques Essay

‘It was the morning of April 20th, 1999. And it was pretty much like any other morning in America. The farmers did his chores, the milkman made his deliveries, the president bombed another country whose name we could not pronounce. Out in Fargo, North Dakota, Carry McWilliams went on his morning walk. Back in Michigan, Mr. Hughes welcomes his students for another day at school. And out in a little town in Colorado, two boys went bowling at six in the morning. Yes, it was a typical day in the United States of America.’ (Narrator 2002) In the documentary ‘Bowling For Columbine’ the director, Michael Moore uses a variety of techniques to position the audience to accept the dominant reading that America is gun crazy and a violent history begets violence.

Major events have crafted the United States and other nations into what they are today. Going from world wars in the 1940’s, to civil rights movements in the 1960’s, to extravagant national debt today, have all played a part in shaping our nation. Being from rural Mississippi, world news being made here is uncommon. We see all of our major news from televisions or newspapers, and this “news” is all happening elsewhere, far from here. Whether it is a good thing that we do not make the big news or not, the fear of uncertain events still lingers. From shootings in schools to bombings in cities, we are fortunate for being seemingly far from these dangers. Even though no physical effects pertain to me, mental pain and fear stays and leaves doubt

     In 2002 Michael Moore’s film “Bowling for Columbine” won the Oscar for best documentary. Unfortunately, in my opinion I do not believe that this movie is a documentary or truth. Bowling for Columbine is FICTION! The movie makes its points by easily deceiving and misleading the viewer. Moore uses deception as its primary tool of persuasion and effect.

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.

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

In the film, Bowling for Columbine, the director Michael Moore takes an extent look at what could have made these teenagers to do such a thing. He doesn’t just look at the terrible event at Columbine High School, but also at the NRA's effects on people, the 2nd amendment, other school shootings, and how the United States compared to other countries gun-control explanations such as Canada. Michael Moore looks as a sociologist would such as C. Wright Mills in which he explores the outside factors of the individuals, but how the personal troubles of the two teenagers involved are related to immense conditions of our society. He doesn’t look at the intellectual make up of each person who creates a crime, but instead looks at how our society as a whole views guns and their uses.

Bowling for Columbine film by Michael Moore is a film in which its central argument is that Americans are afraid of each mainly because of the media whose goals are to put fear in the American community. Unlike several documentaries this one is unique; this film is intended to appeal to the audience who are against guns or are pro-gun control and safety. Across this film, Moore’s takes all of the audience through an exploration of the history of guns and violence, and with the big question, we all ask when a young adult commits a violent act, whom should we blame for this? We start off with ethos or credibility.

April 20, 1999, is a day of remembrance for many people. The Columbine massacre had an effect not only on the Littleton, Colorado community but also on the entire country. In the book Columbine by Dave Cullen, the author tells the story of the tragedy that started with Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. The book begins with an introduction into both Eric and Dylan's thoughts, actions, and reasoning behind their plan to attack their high school. Throughout the book the author points out how the media gave a different view for the motives of the attack which caused false accusations towards the killers. This book tells the truth told from survivors and evidence, but the honest truth behind the attack went to the grave with Eric and

The book Columbine by Dave Cullen has been banned for its content about the Columbine School Shooting and the psychology behind the shooting. It was censored from students because of this content that, while being sensitive and triggering to those who are against gun violence or have PTSD from a situation like this, can help spread awareness about school shootings in a world where events such as the Columbine School Shooting are slowly becoming more and more common. This book, having graphic details about the shooting that can upset people who read it, is a book that can be taught, as its merits, literary qualities, and educational value justify it as a book that teachers can use to bring up valuable points in discussion and teach valuable

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The 2002 film Bowling for Columbine is a documentary written, directed, and narrated by Michael Moore. Moore has won numerous awards including the Academy Award for best documentary feature. The film explores acts of violence with guns and the primary causes for the Columbine School Massacre, where two students shot and killed thirteen people and injured twenty-one others. Bowling for Columbine takes a deep and often disturbing probe into what the motives may have been for the shooters and investigates other gun-related issues along the way. Moore explores different aspects of gun-culture such as receiving free guns from a bank, taking a look at America’s violent history, and interviewing important people like Charlton Heston, former president of the National Rifle Association. The film ultimately comes to the conclusion that the American culture of fear along with the accessibility of guns is the reason why there are so many gun-related deaths. This thesis is supported by many examples Ethos, Logos, and Pathos evidence.

School violence, is an issue that is hard to deal with. There are things that may be done to decrease it but it does not seem like it will ever go away. Parents send their children to school to learn, to have fun, to pass notes, and to meet new people, not to be shot at and never have the chance to come home ever again. They should not have to think or be afraid of sending their child to school and never seeing them. Last year one of the worst school shootings took place at Columbine High School. Not only did it effect the famlies of the victims and of the killers, pretty much the whole nation was involved and many people were brought in to figure out what had happened, and why it happened. This incident brought our nation together, and

Cullen, Dave. “The Depressive and the Psychopath: The FBI’s Analysis of the Killers Motives” The Columbine Alamac (20 April 2004)

The subject of student rights has caused a lot of confusion and anger for decades now. There are two different sides that everyone seems to fall into. Some people want the constitutional rights of students to be fully protected within the school. The other side believes that, as a public institution, schools should regulate what is said or done by students to protect everyone involved. This is where it gets confusing, because it is hard to draw the line between what is allowed or not. The three most interesting topics that I chose to cover are a student’s right to free speech, religion within the school and student privacy.

At first glance, Michael Moore’s documentary “Bowling for Columbine” appears to highlight the ubiquitous issue of gun violence in the United States. However, in actuality, the documentary exposes the fear mongering that exacerbates Americans’ affinity for violence through the use of satire in cartoons and interviews. To begin, Moore summarizes the history of America with a satirical cartoon that depicts Americans as cowardly people. It is evident from the cartoon that America has a history of fear mongering since citizens are always fearful of something, whether it be the Aboriginals or African Americans disrupting the picturesque Caucasian suburbia, all without a probable cause. As a result, citizens utilize this mentality of fear to justify