Capitalism: A Love Story

*****
Five Stars Out of Five

Well, I finally got to see it. I've been waiting a few weeks for it to be released in my hometown. I received the news that it wasn't going to come here, so my girlfriend and I decided to head an hour away in order to see it. It was worth it.

I suppose I should say right away that Michael Moore is a divisive figure. He's loved by the left and loathed by the right. That makes him awesome, in my book. I'm a hardcore liberal, so if your belief system doesn't coincide with mine, or you're not open to alternate viewpoints, you might want to sit this review out. Still there? Good. Republicans - Reagan, Bush, et. al. - suck. Still there? Okay, just checking. Moore is responsible for documentaries like "Roger and Me," "Bowling For Columbine," "Fahrenheit 9/11," and "Sicko." He's a very liberal individual who isn't afraid to take the conservative movement head on. All of his movies have thus far focused mainly on one specific issue - corporate greed, America's obsession with guns, George W. Bush's idiocy, and the failing healthcare system in America. They are all really good, entertaining documentaries, even if "Fahrenheit 9/11" was a bit too heavy-handed and biased.

Bad news for Moore-bashers out there: "Capitalism: A Love Story" is easily his most bipartisan picture to date. For every prominent Republican he attacks or exposes, there's a Democrat he is giving the same treatment to. In contrast to his earlier pictures, though, "Capitalism: A Love Story" has a much broader scope. He addresses absolutely everything from what exactly capitalism is (there are some hilarious scenes from old propaganda videos), what caused the mortgage crisis, the beginning of deregulation under Reagan, the continuation of deruglation under Dubya, big corporations taking advantage of employees, the billion-dollar bailouts, and many other topics. It's a sprawling documentary that covers a lot of topics, and it surprisingly doesn't get bogged down under heavy-handed exposition or biased narrative.

Moore makes it clear early on in the film that he's not an anti-capitalist at heart; rather, he hates what capitalism has become and what it allows big corporations to get away with. Capitalism, as it exists in America today, allows companies like Wal-Mart and AT&T to profit from their employee's deaths, and Moore exposes this for the audience. He chronicles the tragic experience of a family in Peoria, Illinois that refinanced their mortgage at the urging of their bank, only to eventually lose their house and be evicted by the bank that claimed to be "helping" them. There is a particularly powerful scene involving this family that actually brought a tear to my eyes. I won't describe the scene here, simply so people can experience the tragedy for themselves unabashedly.

In an ingenious twist, Moore exposes the hypocrisy inherent in many of the religious right that now has such a strong grip on middle-America. If there is one sequence in the movie that will get Republicans riled up, it is this. Moore, who is a life-long Catholic, quotes passages from the Bible in which Jesus speaks out against the rich. For your consideration, here are some lines from the Bible:
-"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." [Luke 12.15.]
-"Truly, I say unto you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." [Matthew 19:23]

There are other quotes you can find to support the theory that Jesus doesn't like greedy people (it's one of those pesky seven sins, after all), yet Moore uses this as a way of showing how many on the right will quote the Bible when it comes to abortion, or gay marriage, yet they mysteriously ignore passages that incite us to help out the poor man, and look out for the little guy. There are several interviews with members of the clergy that really round this out, and it's another great sequence in the movie.

The only time the film gets a little too off-base is when Moore covers the recent election of Barack Obama. I'm a supporter of Obama, yet this section of the film felt too preachy for me. I understand Moore's assertion here - that maybe the people of America are getting fed up with the rich getting richer, and the poor getting poorer, and are willing to inject some new blood into politics - but Moore elevates Obama to almost Messianic levels here, and it can distract more middle-of-the-road viewers.

In the end, I encourage everyone to go see this movie. Moore does a tremendous job of explaining how our economy has collapsed into the recession we're currently struggling with, and many of those responsible for it. It's sad to see that so many people still whole-heartedly support an ideology that has crippled our economy and has pushed many Americans out of their homes. I'm not saying Capitalism is horrible, it's just not realistic in the type of world we live in today. We need oversight and we need regulation. That doesn't make us Communists or Socialists, it makes us smart and prepared.

In sobering fashion, Moore closes the documentary with footage of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt urging Americans to adopt a second Bill of Rights. Like Moore, I will end this review the same way.

"In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which 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. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.

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."

-Franklin Delano Roosevelt, January 11, 1944