Written by Dave Pritchett
To say that Michael Moore is an incendiary filmmaker is both cliché and true.His newest movie, “Capitalism: A Love Story,” stands in a long line of documentaries made by Mr. Moore that mix clever storytelling with a certain liberal slant—but then again, where can one find a media source that truly is fair and balanced?
The documentary opens with the juxtaposition of an old educational video describing the downfall of the Roman Empire due to the aristocracy with scenes from recent American history.From this moment on, Moore rebukes unfettered capitalism with a rhetorical dexterity that would make the Hebrew prophets jealous.The movie blends historical narrative with anecdotal story well.A rundown of the recent economic collapse and consequent bailout of large banks describes the principal pathology of corporations and government as bedfellows.
The private juvenile detention center in Pennsylvania that paid off a judge to make sure the facility was kept full serves as a telling symptom of the disease of uncontrolled business interest.Moore intersperses this larger narrative with his ironic antics on Wall Street.One has to laugh at him attempting to make a citizens arrest of the CEO of a Morgan Stanley, or reeling out “crime scene” tape around the premises of Bank of America.The movie is, of course, not without fault.For instance, Michael Moore lambasts Tim Geithner for his policies as Secretary of Treasury, yet easily overlooks the current administration that put him in such a position.A further critique of the film lies in some of the interviews.First, some of the experts Moore interviews are hardly qualified.Wallace Shawn (the “inconceivable” evil genius in “The Princess Bride”) may have a degree in economics, but his appearance in the film functions more as a recognizable figure than as an expert.Second, his interviews of the surviving families of corporate employees manipulate the viewer.While one should be saddened by the deaths of the loved ones of those he filmed, the interviews merely add emotionally laden content that does nothing to move the narrative of the film.Finally, Moore fails to address how the current economic climate in America fits into the global arena.Any consideration of the problems of capitalism in America must also deal with the way it has affected the earth as a whole.After all, it is not us who really suffer from its problems, but rather the bottom billion of the world.
In the end, this movie is useful in that it presents us with questions.Should government be so friendly to the business elite?When does capitalism become a problem rather than a solution to poverty?See the film.Ask these questions yourself. Finally, there is a twofold interest to those of us at Harding.First, Moore provocatively critiques the modern relationship of capitalism to Christianity.In a shrewd dubbing of a biblical scene from the film “Jesus of Nazareth,” someone asks Jesus, “Rabbi, what must I do to be saved?” to which Jesus replies, “maximize profits.”Similar dubbing of Gospel scenes sardonically interweave capitalist rhetoric with Jesus’ teaching. This sequence of the film should challenge us at Harding University.
For too long, it seems that Christianity has indeed had a sordid love affair with capitalism.A second significance of this movie for Harding lies in a personal connection.Our own Cliff Ganus is featured in one of the edited film sequences describing capitalism.This highlights a bond that our university has had with the promotion of Capitalism at least since the time of George Benson. While a review such as this should not discuss the merits or failures of such an association, I think that Moore does raise appropriate questions that are particularly relevant for Harding as a Christian university.As we think about the questions raised by Michael Moore, we would do well to keep in mind an oft-quoted passage from farmer and writer Wendell Berry: “Rats and roaches live by competition under the laws of supply and demand; it is the privilege of human beings to live under the laws of justice and mercy.”
