This film is the newest guerilla filmmaking piece from Michael Moore, veteran of TV shows such as "The Awful Truth" and "TV Nation", as well as the documentary film "Roger & Me". Most recently, Moore had a #1 best seller on the New York Times bestseller list, with his book Stupid White Men. Now his movie receiving a fair amount of distribution from United Artists. Bowling for Columbine examines the culture of violence and guns in America, with interviews on both sides of the gun issue, footage from anti- and pro-gun rallies, news coverage and more.

The thing that struck me most about this movie is that it doesn't take a distinct side. While clearly "liberal", this is not an anti-gun movie. Moore is clearly against gun violence, and against the immense gun ownership we have here in America, particularly semi-automatics that have little purpose in hunting. However, he's also a member of the NRA, and professes to have grown up hunting. During his interview with Charlton Heston (that's right, Mr. "From-my-cold-dead-hands" himself), he even seems to agree that the Second Amendment protects the rights of ordinary citizens to own guns. The movie doesn't slam you with a message and this is a good thing. Often Moore's work is over-the-top even painful, because it's so blatant. Sometimes this may be necessary, but on this issue, Moore did well to avoid this tack. Instead, this movie is a thoughtful, if somewhat biased examination of the issue of gun violence in America.

Through comparison with other countries, the film details appalling numbers in regards to gun deaths - around 11,000 last year in America, compared to Canada's 165. Stretch that to equal populations, and you still have a tally of 11,000 to 1650. Gun ownership is rampant in Canada as well, so what's the difference? Moore doesn't profess to know and there's no easy answer to be found here. The film contains a great deal of statistics and research, and the quality of the research is excellent, but some of Moore's conclusions are a stretch. Anecdotal evidence and logical leaps will be found here, so be prepared to take them with a grain of salt. Even if you don't agree with all of Moore's conclusions, it will certainly be difficult to argue that everything's alright here in America after seeing this film.

A secondary issue that Moore takes on is the issue of the media and its effects on society. The movie's title is derived from the blame the media placed on things such as video games and alternative music, following the killings in Littleton, Colorado. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris were avid bowlers, and on the morning of the shootings they visited the local alley to bowl a couple games. However, the media never blamed bowling for the boys' behavior. An interview with Marilyn Manson as well as Moore's own commentary on the media lead to an interesting conclusion - in Manson's own words, we are "a society of consumption and fear". This issue alone would be enough for a documentary, but it's far more tantalizing as a subissue of the film.

Highlights of the film include an opening sequence in which Moore opens a bank account and receives a gun on the spot, as well as the aforementioned interview with Charlton Heston. This interview was one of the more strained spots in the movie, and it was difficult to watch the interaction between these two men. However, I still list it as a highlight for reasons I can't put into words. It simply must be seen. Additional key sequences include the aforementioned interview in which Marilyn Manson shows intelligence which will surprise many as well as an overly simplified, but nevertheless amusing animation sequence about American history.

Obviously, this movie doesn't discover an answer to the problems of gun violence in America. At the least, it may cause a change in the attitudes of a few people and prevent a few gun deaths this year. With a bit more hope, it could bring about more radical change in policies, laws, and societal behaviors. After all, thanks to the efforts of Moore and two survivors of the massacre at Columbine, Kmart, the store where the Columbine killer's purchased their bullets, has entirely phased out their sale of handgun ammunition. All it took was a few cameras, a pair of brass balls, and a lot of persistance.

The movie is being shown in limited theatres around the country, but it's well-worth the trip no matter where you need to go to see it. You will certainly come out of it with new ideas and new attitudes on a myriad of issues in contemporary society.