Michael Moore's 2002 mockumentary, Bowling For Columbine, is a political commentary that details the correlations between America's seemingly normalized "gun obsession" tendencies and its relatively high percentage of incidents caused by or correlated with gun violence. Throughout the film, Moore presents emotionally charged statistics and images that inherently portray a harsh message about the state of American society intended to inform, influence, and incite anti-gun opinions among the general public . The subtle use of images, sound and editing as well as the inclusion of comedic satire in Bowling For Columbine influence the audience's point of view and solidify the overall message of the film. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay As Bowling For Columbine opens, images of the NRA (National Rifle Association) are displayed. This is incorporated to imply that the NRA approves of the film, but the fact that the footage is black and white (unlike the majority of the film) and is distinctly derived from old film footage means that audiences are not allowed to have this perspective. the inclusion is therefore seen as another form of irony or social satire, with other footage archived within the film. After a brief sequence showing scenes of devastation caused by bombing and glamorous images of people posing with guns interspersed with mundane events such as children arriving at school and farmers going about their daily chores, the film plunges straight into the story with little introduction, showing Moore walking into a bank and receiving a free gun. In the film, Moore is characterized as a distinct entity, a constructed and enacted identity that provides the link with the referential world and gives a particular voice to the documentary itself. The inclusion of Moore's character is essential to the atmosphere of the film and his ordinary, pleasant and seemingly working-class persona gives the audience a character in the story to identify and side with. This public persona is further emphasized by the inclusion of home video footage of Moore as a child, his personal relationships with the gun subculture, and how he was invested in it from a young age. This segment shows that Moore is in no position to condemn or judge gun owners and allows the documentary to maintain a level of objectivity. The use of autobiographical stories establishes a semi-rapport with the audience by establishing that they are the same as any other person. This technique ensures that the audience connects with their personality and identifies with their point of view. By knowing his background and personal information, the viewer feels like they know him, trusting him to show the truth about issues. The inclusion of brief segments from comedy shows such as Chris Rock and South Park are derived from "docutainment". elements, a subgenre of documentary that uses all the tools of high-production feature films, including animation, time-lapse photography, graphics, editing and music. Moore said: “The best comedians were the ones who were the angriest. Their humor was the other side of their anger. This demonstrates that Moore believes that the inclusion of such elements is just as relevant to any other "serious" sequence, as most comedies, including his own, are ultimately drawn from social satire. The use of popular modern music such as "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" superimposed on images of peoplecarrying guns and celebrating and approving the use of guns, depicts the irony of the songwriter; John Lennon was a well-known pacifist and anti-war protester. This gives insight into the satirical element promoted by Moore. This sequence is then immediately followed by a young mother who declares: "It's a great place to raise your children." This montage highlights the juxtaposition of two contrasting ideals and is used significantly throughout the film , mainly to highlight the contrast between perception and reality This is seen again with the arms dealer, who claims that America is not just "throwing a bomb at them", in reference to the American negotiations. Archival and news footage of every altercation the United States participated in. With both statistics and visuals of civilian death tolls displayed on screen, while Louis' "What A Wonderful World." Armstrong plays in the background Contrapuntal music adds to the socio-political irony as the sequence ends with a powerful image of the hijacked planes flying towards the World Trade Center. fades and the panic of those who witnessed the event subsides, finally refuting the weapons manufacturer's words. In an intentionally disturbing and gruesome scene, the events of the Columbine massacre are relived through the use of true split-screen. Security camera video footage of terrified students diving for cover as Columbine shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold opened fire, overlaid with the recorded voices of frightened 911 callers. The footage features real emergency calls heard on camera, walking the audience through deserted school hallways while solemn music plays in the background before cutting to camera footage of shootings and mass panic. The choice to show the empty corridors contributes to the eerie quality of the images, echoing the scenes of devastation and death that were present within the school. The climate of fear that followed the Columbine disaster is satirized by the inclusion of the most ridiculous and exaggerated stories of children in schools being suspended or otherwise punished for showing "warning signs." For example, the student suspended for dyeing her hair or the first grader for pointing a chicken strip at a teacher. This, combined with the "public service" tape showing how easy it is for a student to smuggle guns in when the school has a lax dress code, is a mockery of overreaction and overprotectiveness, particularly highlighted when the boy pulls a full gun from the bottom of his pant leg. After suggesting that the boys' love for Marilyn Manson drove them to commit these crimes, Moore conducts an interview with Manson. Manson talks about politics coherently and intelligently and seems to know the subject well. This is juxtaposed with images of religious protesters claiming it encourages murder and death; highlighting the ridiculousness and lack of connection between the two, especially as the protester compares the music to a Lexus commercial. Following the interview, Moore said, "The only thing they know about Marilyn Manson is what they've been told," that Manson is "a crazy devil-worshipping fruitcake." And it turns out he's very smart. Moore then expands on this notion and states that if the media "lied to you about something like that, what are they lying to you about today?" About Afghanistan or Iraq? About Al-Qaeda? About the Arabs? This questioning.