Capitalism: A Love Story
“How the fuck did this happen?”
So asks Michael Moore to one of his interview subjects in “Capitalism: A Love Story.” The love story isn’t between Moore and Capitalism- Moore loathes it- but between Wall Street and its’ money.
Well, duh, you’re probably saying. It’s also something of a love story between Moore and himself. The film comes 20 years exactly since his landmark “Roger & Me” hit theatres and catapulted the son of a working class family into the spotlight as a populist provocateur, be it in film (“Bowling for Columbine,” “Sicko”), print (“Stupid White Men”), and TV (“The Awful Truth”). There’s no middle ground- you either like him or you don’t; a relative called me a socialist when I sent my review of “Slackers Uprising” last year to my mail list- and Mr. Moore himself- and opted out of my review emails.
Fair enough. In that particular instance, my political motivations superseded my usual goal of presenting an objective and fair movie review. (Also sending it separately from my bulk review emails didn’t help, either.)
But onto “Capitalism.” This film is a little too unnerving to be easily enjoyed like Moore’s previous triumphs. It’s also a little too much Moore grandstanding and a little to little populist anger when it comes to how Wall Street has screwed over Main Street with indecipherable tools like credit-default swaps and derivatives, leading to a financial sector bailout in the form of last year’s TARP program that should have been secondary to temporary nationalization when it comes to turning around our recent economic tailspin. It’s got both the best and worst of Moore- who can be a compelling and intelligent voice for the left (check out his books “Stupid White Men” and “Dude, Where’s My Country” if you don’t believe me).
Unfortunately, the best doesn’t really come through until late in the 2-hour plus “Capitalism,” when Moore captures regular citizens standing up for their rights in rebellion against Wall Street greed and Main Street inequality by staging a sit-in strike at a closed windows and doors factory, or becoming a squatter in their bank-foreclosed home while their neighbors watch in support. Moments like these are a return to the blue-collar populism that Moore is best at- when the system screws over the everyman for its’ own purposes- although for most of “Capitalism,” such moments are too few and far between.
Moore’s feelings on capitalism are well-documented (and supported) throughout this love story (which is more a tragedy, in the death of the American Dream as framed by our Four Fathers, who wished us life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness), while his “gotcha moments” as he tries to take on the big-wigs of AIG and Goldman Sachs pale in comparison to the people forced to cleanup their own home after foreclosure and the families of loved ones whose employers took out life insurance, and made themselves the beneficiaries when those people died (although I will admit, Moore’s call to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson’s office is priceless).
One of Moore’s most compelling moments in his film comes in an archival video he shows of FDR during his final State of the Union address in 1943, filmed less than a year before he died, laying out his plans (and hopes) for a Second Bill of Rights for Americans. These include the following (taken from Wikipedia):
“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.”
I’ve been following closely things like Health Care Reform and the post-bailout era as Obama tries to clean up the messes of administrations past (not just Bush 43). Unfortunately, circumstances have been such that, well, quite frankly not enough is being done to make wrongdoers accountable, and make some of the things FDR spoke about a reality. Obama and his administration’s done a lot, but I worry in some cases. It’s great to have people like Michael Moore, Nobel-winner Paul Krugman (whose op-eds for Rolling Stone have enlightened me as much in recent months as anything else), and Rolling Stone National Affairs writer Matt Taibbi- who’s lifted the veil as much as anybody on the scams at work on the bailout and how Congress threatens to screw-up health care. “Capitalism” isn’t one of Moore’s best, but it does show that his heart continues to be in the right place, even after a decade of box-office success and Oscar glory.
Guess not everyone is so easily corruptible by success.
