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The Great Rocky Hill |
Date: 2009-10-05

"Capitalism" opens with disclaimer from some old film, and then segues into scenes from police videos of people robbing banks and convenience stores. Moore likes to make comparisons. In this case he wants to show us who the real thieves are, and they don't tend to be desperate drug addicts wearing hoodies.

To me that's what Moore's latest film is: a cinematic treatise on crime. Moore uses his excellent skills as an editor to piece together films in a manner that makes you want to scream "Where does he find this stuff?" to paint a telling picture of what America is: a plutocracy. And yes, Mike uses that word and wants us all to learn it, even providing a definition straight out of a textbook.

What Moore also excels at is humanizing crises and the class war by showing us just who's affected by these forces and why. We're shown people, real people being thrown out of their homes, being pushed out of their jobs, being paid meager salaries to do dangerous, complicated work, and being informed that companies profited from the deaths of their loved ones through something called "dead peasant insurance."

He even speaks to various clergy to try and find any sort of modern moral justification for capitalism. He can't. One priest even goes as far as to state flatly that "Capitalism is radically evil."

Yeah.

Speaking of all things radical, Moore puts himself on the line by trying to raid the offices of financial institutions, implores us to do the same, and backs that strategy up by showing current examples of how dissent and popular revolt can turn the tables on the gluttons in power, even if those victories are as small as one family being allowed to stay in their foreclosed home and window factory workers given severance payments after a long sit-in.

However, what "Capitalism" isn't is a mere bleeding-heart piece that is all emotion. Mike tends to do his homework. And that's what makes him a firebrand. The evidence is laid bare for the viewer to see.

There are some who would call Michael Moore and his documentaries "anti-American." He's even told by one Wall Streeter to "stop making movies" when trying to get an accurate definition of what are called "derivatives." Although I would definitely call Moore a subversive, I challenge anyone to find an ounce of hatred towards America in this piece. No, Michael Moore loves America, but his America is made up of those who toil and have little or nothing. His America is being looted by people that can only be described as white-collar sociopaths who would be selling heroin or whoring out young girls had they not been brought up in wealthy families.

You also get a generous serving of Michael's trademark humor to make it all go down easier. It has been said that the best way to take the powerful down a peg or two is by poking fun at them, and Moore doesn't just poke at them, he runs them through with swords of bitingly comedic steel.

If I had one gripe about "Capitalism" it would be that there was so much more ground that could have been covered. That's why I feel that a sequel is in order as well as a prequel since Moore rather glosses over earlier American history. But I suppose that's what he have Howard Zinn for.

Yes, this is a paramount polemic against capitalism and dare I say FOR socialism. Even Bernie Sanders gets some facetime.

As someone who has been identifying as a socialist for years, I can say that it only reinforced my belief that the free market is unsustainable, as if my personal experience as an American worker hasn't been enough to do so. Demons lurk in the details though, and Moore not only shines a light of veracity on them, he also splashes them with holy water, as any left-leaning Catholic such as Moore would.

Christ wasn't a capitalist sympathizer, something Moore also shows us, and neither is Moore himself. So why should you be? It's not in your best interests to be one. Think of this as an intervention by way of motion picture for your friends and family who are thoroughly in love with an abusive spouse that is all take and no give.

Talk about a great candidate for an ABC Sunday Night Movie. If I could hold screenings for "Capitalism" I would. It needs to be seen by far more people than any action/adventure blockbuster.

Thanks for makin' the devils hiss, Mike. And for making socialism taste so good.

S. in Los Angeles |
Date: 2009-12-15

Thank goodness for Michael Moore and other brave directors that have attempted to tell the Wall Street corruption story! Movies like "Capitalism" and Stock Shock will shine a light on our financial markets...and give back confidence to the American people.

Robert G. San Socie |
Date: 2009-10-11

Once upon a time people were "taught" to think the King spoke for GOD and that was that. Today we are "taught" Capitalism is the "natural order of things" and "works better than any other system". Both arguments were used to uphold the divine right of Kings. Some things never change. People want leaders. Why,is beyond me. Even the Old Testament tells Israel you may have your King but it will not make you happy.Great movie, Mike. Your best yet. Problem is, people do not have a vision of how to live in a world without "Leaders". Without a vision of non-hierarchical power structures people are clueless to what replaces them. Democracy was started into play in America,in a small way--but became still born by the 1840's. Since then it has just been a tool of power for the wealthy to steal from the poor.I really wish Michael Moore had stayed with and backed Ralph Nader. President Obama is going to break his heart.You told a great story, Mr.Moore. A true story. If you make a wonderful romantic comedy in which everyone turns out HAPPY! HAPPY! HAPPY!!! in the end with great wealth due to the wonders of Freedom and the Free Market you would make a ton of money. I bet the folks that ran the Colosseum in Rome made a ton of money also. Thanks for the effort. In your "Love Story" you told the truth. People want the pretty lie. I loved how you re-cased Jesus as Milton Friedman,genius. Give my love to the good Fathers in your film. I really mean that. I have lived so long that the Roman Catholic Church has become less hierarchical than my government.More just also. Will go back and see the movie again and buy the DVD as soon as possible. Hope we meet in the streets someday. Now that would be change!!!!

Sean Weinstock |
Date: 2010-02-03

The short list of what can be considered documentary film classics has yet another wonderful addition by legendary filmmaker Michael Moore. It is a visual spanning of the history of corporate influence over our political leaders and how this has poisoned the entire establishment nearly beyond repair. I will never forget the segment of a presidential speech, showed roughly around the beginning of this film, of a man standing behind president Reagan who leans in and says angrily in his ear: "HURRY IT UP; WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!" The camera then freezes on Reagan's shocked face as the narrator simply asks, "Who speaks to the president like this?" It graphically shows you how much influence is measured by the corporations over our political leaders. This film in particular strikes higher notes than Moore's previous films in that it takes you back to the roots of earlier documentaries and brings out more ample and articulate forms of evidence in support of the general thesis. Capitalism: A Love Story seeks to expose the corruption of our varied form of greedy Capitalism, and to replace it with a more democratized base system, typically referred to as Leftist-Libertarianism or Libertarian-Socialism.

People in the United States generally speak of Socialism as something awful, pointing to Russia and China as examples of the dangers of far leftist thought. But if they would simply take the time to read into some of their literature of political theory, they would realize that there are branches within the movement which are infinitely distinct from those totalitarian nations. It is a category mistake to assume that socialism entails totalitarianism, as if what you see in Russia and China were totally across the board. To any of you interested in getting a thorough education on this subject, I would recommend you checking out the following books: Anarchism: From Theory to Practice Chomsky on Anarchism

The Girl Always Lost in a Book |
Date: 2010-02-27

Michael Moore's parting words in this documentary serve as a great summary of what he was trying to convey in his film:

"We live in the RICHEST country in the world. We all deserve a decent job, health care, a good education, a home to call our own. We all deserve FDR's dream. And it is a CRIME that we don't have it. And we never will, as long as we have a system that enriches the few at the expense of the many. Capitalism is an evil and you cannot regulate evil. You have to eliminate it and replace it with something that is good for ALL people. And that something is called DEMOCRACY."

Side Note: FDR's dream was the following (from his January 11, 1944 message to Congress on the State of the Union) -

It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy for the winning of a lasting peace and the establishment of an American standard of living higher than ever before known. We cannot be content, no matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of our people--whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth--is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure.
[...]
A new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all--regardless of station, race, or creed.
Among these are:
* The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;
* The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
* The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;
* The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;
* The right of every family to a decent home;
* The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
* The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
*The right to a good education.
All of these rights spell security.
[...]
America's own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for our citizens.
[...]
FOR UNLESS THERE IS SECURITY HERE AT HOME, THERE CANNOT BE LASTING PEACE IN THE WORLD.