Kony 2012 Film Analysis

Wherever we go, whether it be the grocery store, the mall, or even the couch, people are constantly bombarded by the elements of persuasion. For example, when buying a carton of milk, the advertisers will entice buyers with statistics and a list of healthy ingredients. Or while flipping through a magazine at the dentist's office, marketers draw the eyes in with bright colors and bold text. These elements of persuasion, rooted both in visual and logical appeals, can also be woven together to create an argumentative documentary. These documentaries, especially when considering controversial issues, have the power to broadcast important social messages to the world. This ability, however, can only be unlocked when the right rhetorical means are used to further their argument. The 13th, a documentary directed by Ava DuVernay, is a prime example of this. Released in October of 2016, this oscar-nominated film made an immediate impact due to its provoking message on the mass criminalization of African Americans in the United States, skilfully exploring the disproportionate amount of African Americans in prison. The success of this documentary can be attributed to its persuasive visual and audio tracks and its well timed arrival, ultimately influencing the viewer's passion to create a change in the world.

Documentaries are produced in such a way that positions the audience to accept a version of reality. As Tim Hetherington, a British photojournalist once said, “You can construct whatever story you want to. Documentaries are constructions, as is all journalism.” In Fahrenheit 9/11 specifically, viewers are presented with a critical analysis of the political agenda surrounding America’s decision to wage war on Iraq. Directed by American political commentator and filmmaker Michael Moore and released in mid-2004, the documentary’s central premise is that US President George Bush is, and has been from the start of his term, unfit for office and does not act in interests of the American public. Moore presents the idea that President Bush, as a result

The Biased viewpoint of Michael Moore tears viewers away from the actual problem, and perhaps even the film’s intended message itself…

With such a heavy topic as gun violence, Moore utilizes humour and satire throughout

He interviews many different people to focus on the different aspects, which makes the documentary have a narrative logic and a believable story. He wanders from street to street to where gun is a problem to answer his questions. This way he is able to get facts, opinions, and comparisons, to help convey the message of gun violence in America. He starts with interviewing the people in the countryside then some victim teenagers from Columbine highschool and few Canadians. John Nicholas says “When the government turns tyrannical, it is your duty to overthrow it” but Moore disagrees and states his opinion,wanting others

In Roger and Me, Michael Moore interviews many laid off auto workers, the city council of Flint, Michigan, representatives of upper-class Flint, and in the end, he finally speaks briefly with Roger Smith. In the majority of these interviews, Moore is actively involved, either in a visual or audio sense.

The obvious bias illustrated throughout Michael Moore’s film certainly does detract from the messages conveyed however when presented in the right circumstances it adds more value to the messages. The obvious bias leaves many people questioning the credibility of the director’s message as it doesn’t show the full spectrum of the situation, which is what documentaries are for, and ultimately this detracts the films message. However, in some circumstances the obvious bias brings more light on important aspects which should be acted upon thus adding more value the message being portrayed. Michael Moore has directed over 12 documentaries and a handful of them have been awarded with prestigious film awards. “Where to invade next”, “Sicko”, “Bowling for Columbine”, “Capitalism: a love story” and “Fahrenheit 9/11”, these are just half of the documentaries in which Michael Moore has directed. The purpose of a documentary is to present a nonfictional motion picture which aims to promote or

After WWII “political avant-garde” films flourished. These social documentaries challenged political institutions that oppressed the many for the benefit of the few and called for political change taking up causes from feminist movement to Civil rights (Benson 8). This call to action is what Grierson thought documentary films were missing.

The novel Documentary Storytelling by Sheila Curran Bernard delves deep into the behind the scenes of the development of documentary. She writes powerfully and informatively on the structure of documentary and how time on screen can be used. In the chapter entitled Planning and Pitching, Bernard discusses the importance of selecting a cast of experts with a wide range of viewpoints (Bernard 148). I agree with Bernard that having a diverse range of opinions may add credibility to the film, but I must argue that having too large an amount will undermine the direction of the film. While having a wide range of viewpoints may balance the film, those viewpoints may contradict each other and make the concept of the film difficult to understand.

My genre essay is going to be based upon the film Bowling for Columbine, which is an interactive documentary directed by Michael Moore (Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko, Where to Invade Next). Michael Moore is an American filmmaker who also participates in other forms of the media such as screenwriting, journalism, acting, an author and is also a left wing activist. In this documentary, Moore brings the audience’s attention towards what he encourages to be the potential causes for the 1999 Columbine High School Massacre. This is accomplished as Moore follows many mainstream conventions seen in the traditional expository documentary such as soundtrack, voice-overs and interviews, however subverts by directly engaging in the matter to allow his perspective

Similarly, in “Bowling for Columbine”, Moore uses documentary filmic language to posit the dehumanisation of the American population under existing socio-economic paradigms, reflecting his neo-socialist political outlook, born out of disillusionment with the 1990’s Clinton Administration. Initially, Moore evokes the predictable American nature of public discourse through his nonchalant voiceover “the President ordered the bombing of another country we couldn’t pronounce”, which suggests the American populace’s total ignorance to the destructiveness of its government’s foreign policies, reinforced by the use of the song “What a Wonderful World” which allows Moore to ridicule American delusions of being international forbearers of civility. Subsequently,

Take one documentary called Bowling For Columbine which talk about gun-bulling as an example. In our English course, my english teacher discussed the gun-bulling happened in Columbine. When she became enthusiastic about depicting the scene, the sense of boring spread over the classroom, because all of us were not able to imagine the scene from her enthusiastic speech. Latter after class, yielded to curiosity, I searched the Columbine gun-bulling on the internet and then one documentary jumped into my sight. In Bowling For Columbine this documentary, the scene of the gun-bulling which was recorded by surveillance camera is shown with the background audio, the emergency phone calls from the crime scene. Infected by the cruel video and

Although Netflix has brought significant improvements on the publication and production of documentaries, it remains a massive American profit-making business that does not follow the conventions of documentary filmmaking. As Lin Tay and Hudson explain, new media platforms such as Netflix, “disrupt the linear structures conventionally ascribed to documentary” (79). Many traditional documentarians and genre theorists are arguing about modern documentaries’ level of realness. As the genre evolves and adapts to the new generation, it loses much of its original conventions, one of them being the importance of facts rather than fiction (O’Flynn 147). By mixing genres and applying characteristics of science fiction blockbusters and reality television to the documentary genre, Netflix is sometimes manipulating the storylines and visuals to make the text more appealing. For example, the thrilling Amanda Knox (2016) documentary produced by Netflix, uses common conventions of

An ethical documentary is meant to show an honest representation of actuality. However, the achievement of this ethical approach is problematic as the filmmaker faces difficulties of representation, treatment, and perception of their subject on screen. A discussion of this problem of the ethical documentary can be separated into the filmmaker's ethical role and the ethics of the treatment of their subject.

Because of the flexible usage of screening language, script and acting, this film breaks the fictional border of a traditional political thriller and allows the audience to break free from storytelling methods. The content becomes believable and realistic and the thoughts that invoked from real life concerns are both emotionally and rationally strong.