Michael Moore takes on the participatory role in his documentary "Bowling for Columbine" by directly interviewing people on camera. He presents himself as an average person to appear more trustworthy to the audience. Throughout the film, Moore maintains his viewpoint that guns lead to negative consequences, though he explores different reasons for gun violence. Elements like Moore addressing the camera or using shocking footage are meant to draw attention to the investigative nature of the documentary and force the audience to see the issues through Moore's perspective. However, some context may be omitted or manipulated to strengthen Moore's arguments.

1. MICHAEL
MOORE’S
BOWLING FOR
COLUMBINE
RESEARCH INTO SIMILAR PRODUCTS

2. THE ON SCREEN
PRESENTER
Michael Moore takes on the participatory mode in the sense
that he is on screen exploring the reasons for the high levels
of gun crime in America. He is dressed in casual clothing
with a baseball cap and a beard. This casual “everyman”
persona makes the audience feel that he can be trusted as he
is just like the average person and he appears to be
investigating the issue for their benefit. We become aware of
his personal history and his past with guns making the
audience feel that he is speaking from a position of
experience and understanding, increasing his alleged
reliability in the eyes of the audience.

3. SUBJECTIVITY
From the outset it is clear that Moore believes there is a
problem with guns. He portrays his opinion through facts
and statistics to give the sense that his personal beliefs are
correct. Throughout the film the reasons behind gun crime
that Moore explores change but his standpoint on the
negative effects of guns does not change. In his interviews
he asks people, who’s opinions on guns that are binary
opposites of his own, questions that lead them to answers
that make them look unintelligent in order t enhance his
point.

4. A SENSE OF
ARTIFICIALITY
The documentary employs elements of the reflexive mode.
For example when Moore gestures for the camera to follow
him and moments where Moore surprises high profile people
with interviews. In these moments we hear Moore address
that he is making a film. By doing this Moore draws the
audience’s attention to the investigative nature of the piece
and the idea that a camera can not necessarily present life
with 100% accuracy.

5. MEDIATION
In the scenes filmed in Canada, Moore makes the point that
Canada is safer than America. His evidence for this is that
people leave their doors open. We see Moore open 3
unlocked front doors before he draws this conclusion. The
spectator cannot know if Moore chose to leave out footage of
doors that were locked or if these houses were under
particular circumstance. Context and information may have
been left out in order to make Moore’s point appear stronger.

6. ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE
Sections of the film are made up of shocking archival
footage. The CCTV footage from the Columbine massacre is
shown. The footage does not increase awareness of what
happened as it is an extremely well know event. It would
appear that this footage was used simply for its disturbing
nature to shock and horrify the audience and force them to
see the realities of gun crime through Moore’s eyes.

7. USE OF MUSIC
Moore uses music ironically in the way it would be used in a
fiction film. There is a montage of American foreign policy
that is accompanied by Louis Armstrong’s “What a wonderful
word”. The music leads the spectators interpretation of the
footage and portrays the negativity, disappointment and
maybe even bitterness of Moore towards the attitude of his
country to violence.