The documentary Bowling for Columbine, directed by Michael Moore, may have a misleading title as it does not primarily center around the actual Columbine massacre. Instead, Moore explores the topic of gun control and its involvement in the tragedy. However, he only briefly discusses the Columbine massacre itself. Furthermore, Moore includes several montages throughout the film to reinforce his arguments.
In my opinion, Michael Moore did not deserve the Oscar he received for his film Bowling for Columbine. The movie begins with footage of President George W. Bush giving authorization for a military strike on another country. It also includes a scene where a bikini-clad girl is seen holding an M-16 rifle and mentions two boys from Colorado who went bowling.
The tragic Columbine massacre took place on April 20, 1999 and was carried
...out by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the same two boys mentioned in the documentary. Within the first 15 to 20 minutes of the film, Moore interviews DJ from Oscoda, Michigan - which interestingly happens to be Eric's hometown.
DJ and Eric were classmates in school. However, DJ was shocked to hear on the news that Eric was the person responsible for the shooting. As a result of this tragic incident, high schools created a bomb threat list to identify students who had the potential to become like Eric and Dylan. Surprisingly, DJ found himself ranked second on this list. It is possible that his inclusion stemmed from owning The Anarchist's Cookbook, which provided instructions on creating napalm. Strangely enough, DJ confessed to feeling disappointed for not being ranked first on the list. He remarked, "I suppose it was somewhat of an ego boost
knowing that I was at the top of something in Oscoda, even if it was just the bomb threat list."
The situation I found absurd and amusing was the desire of being ranked at the top of a bomb threat list. Michael Moore then transitions from interviewing one level of insanity to a completely new level which I had never encountered before. He interviews James Nichols, who is the brother of Terry Nichols, one of the individuals involved in the Oklahoma City bombing. James Nichols was arrested for assisting in the creation of practice bombs. Although Terry Nichols was convicted and sentenced to life in prison and Timothy McVeigh, the actual bomber, was executed, there was insufficient evidence to convict James Nichols according to the FBI.
Moore neglects to mention that Eric Harris had aspirations of surpassing the Oklahoma City bombing. According to his journal, Eric boasted about outdoing McVeigh (Cullen 32). It is unclear whether Moore was unaware of this information or deliberately chose not to include it. In my opinion, this detail holds significance as it highlights the diabolical nature of Eric and his intentions.
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