Persuasive Film Analysis - Essay Example

The fireworks are revealed to be part of a celebration of Al Gore's election to the Presidency in 2000. The dream sequence that follows appeals to Democrats' hopes, dreams, and expectations on a very basic, fundamental level. Contrasted with that is the conspiracy information that a Bush cousin is an executive for Fox Channel in Florida and Bush’s brother Jeb, the Governor of Florida, promised George that he would win. Moore’s film suggests that the means by which Bush won Florida and thus the Presidency was not legitimate, convincingly causing the audience to feel curiosity and a growing sense of unease.

Once the dream segment is over, the movie restarts with a black screen and the sounds of the streets of New York the day the planes hit the World Trade Center. In addition to very effective continued emotional appeals, Moore uses well-documented evidence, such as news videos of the moment Bush received news of the attack and callously turned back to reading to a group of children, to prove that George Bush was a bad president. Not only did he steal the election, but he did not effectively respond to emergencies and he was politically compromised by family and business interests.

Other evidence he offers includes interviews with influential people, verifiable historic events, photographed images, and documents that he shows on the screen. The evidence is highly convincing and effectively distributed throughout the film to maintain variety and interest. A specific sequence that demonstrates the logic of the presentation occurs as the film examines the business connections between the Saudi Arabian government and the Bush family. Records of the passengers on each of the planes showed that nine of the 13 hijackers were of Saudi nationality, bringing up a disturbing connection.

Video records showed that the senior Bush was engaged in a meeting with the Carlyle Group, of which he and the Bin Laden family are involved, on the morning of the attach. Additional records illustrate that the younger Bush was bailed out of his several business failures by large financial investments from Saudi business groups during a time when his father was head of the CIA and Vice President. Through this progression, Moore leads the audience to the conclusion that the Bush family must be more personally loyal to the Saudis than to the country they professed to lead.

This conclusion is underlined with the parting shot reminding the audience that the only planes flying that day were military planes and a private airline quickly evacuating members of the Bin Laden family safely out of the U.S. The film has many strengths, including the elements listed above, but one of the weaknesses of the film is the overwhelming elements of the conspiracy theory Moore is developing. While the arguments are convincing because they are supported by strong evidence, the accusations are vast.

He suggests not only that Bush stole the election with help from people who knew he was incompetent, but he did so in order to further the personal interests of his family and friends. From the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan to the degradation of civil rights including the Patriot Act, the government’s misuse of terror warnings, and, in the final section of the movie, the conflict in Iraq, Moore's march is relentless and can be oppressive. Because of its approach, the film was easily accepted as truth by people who already criticized Bush before they saw the film, but