Reviews / 13 March 2007

Manufacturing Dissent

Manufacturing Dissent
Canada  /  2007

Michael Moore is the most successful documentary filmmaker in history, and he has taken quantifiable liberties in each of his films: in Roger & Me, he omitted an interview with Roger Smith, former CEO of General Motors; his apprehending a gun in exchange for activating a bank account was staged (and incurred weeks of preproduction so the contrivance would seem authentic) in Bowling for Columbine; and much of the footage in Fahrenheit 9/11 depicting an insensitive George Bush is shown wildly out of context.

Rick Caine and Debbie Melnyk’s film is resolute in reinforcing Moore’s illegitimacies as a documentary filmmaker. They do so with precisely the same agenda, but without the same tactics—their cautious ambushes (they trail Moore on his well-attended lectures on college campuses) pervade the film with a peculiar irony. Moore is such a domineering presence in his films he seems capable of conjuring controversy at every turn; co-director Melnyk, as the emcee herein, is totally passive. She comes face-to-face with Moore at several instances, and in each seems a bit frenzied and speechless, her questions faltering, and Moore’s excuses to leave imminent.

Manufacturing Dissent was preceded by an informal poll: who loves him and his films, and who does not—the responses were equally enthusiastic and divided. An indifferent responder, I happen to admire Moore’s films. Despite their questionable agendas (as well as Moore’s caustic persona), I find them consistently entertaining—this is, if you can overlook their objectionable legitimacy as documentaries. Caine and Melnyk’s film is intent in questioning such legitimacies, which it does well; it’s just as propagandistic as a Michael Moore film, but not as entertaining.

Comments / 5 total / Submit Comment

  1. Bill Williams
    15 March 2007
    2:25 AM

    Michael Moore’s biggest secret

    http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1797962/posts

    http://westfallmike.tripod.com/

    Bill Williams

  2. leo
    15 March 2007
    12:27 PM
    Website

    Hold your horses there, Bill. Are you suggesting that Michael Moore is a documentary filmmaker who makes films in order to make money and not in fact a factory worker?

    Earth-shattering. How can we get this secret out to the world?

  3. Bill Williams
    19 March 2007
    3:27 AM

    Wait a minute Leo. I think the film, Manufacturing Dissent, did a good job in exposing Moore and his personal redefinition of the truth. I was merely suggesting that on the web are such documented links like http://michaelwestfall.tripod.com/id17.html which totally backs up the films assumptions. I think the Phil Donahue-Mike Westfall segment of the film opened an important and overlooked door on Moore’s credentials. Do I personally think that Moore is a documentary film maker. No, I think he makes up his own truth to fit his movie plots and has made suckers of a lot of none thinkers in this country. Manufacturing Dissent does a public service because it clearly demonstrates this fact. As far as Moore being a factory worker or film maker, again, the real Flint rebels didn’t want Moore and I refer you to the link above which will spell it all out for you.

    Bill

  4. Fred Terry
    22 March 2007
    8:49 AM

    Just as propagandistic? Obvioulsy those rose colored glasses were to thick to see clearly. The phrase a horse to water comes to mind. I found the film very entertaining, although admittedly Moore is more entertaining. And so we forgive a million indiscreations as long as we are entertained? Sure why not, let’s entertain ourselves to death.

  5. rumsey
    22 March 2007
    12:15 PM
    Website

    Just as propagandistic, yes. In one of numerous instances in which Melnyk approaches Moore, he attempts to hug her after diverging her solicitation for an interview once more, and she cowers away just before allowing him to put his arm around her. She narrates this footage, and explains how Canadians don’t hug at the drop of a hat, and her excuse is underlined with footage of soldiers in Red Serges marching around in unison. That is propaganda.

    I think the exercise is of fault, here, because the most feasible strategy in discrediting Michael Moore as a filmmaker is to not employ the very agenda he does in his filmmaking, to ballast his bullying propaganda and loudmouthedness with sensitivity and clarity. I’m not saying Manufacturing Dissent lacks sensitivity and clarity at all, just that those aspects are undermined because it targets Moore with the same elaborated fervor as he does General Motors George Bush, etc.

    I should note that I think Moore’s indiscretion is another issue entirely; I just think he makes better films than this one about him.

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Credits

Directed by
Rick Caine and Debbie Melnyk

Review by
Rumsey Taylor

Source
35mm print

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