One lone fleshy conspiracy-peddling hero stands in between America and the Trump Darkness. Camera affixed to his sweaty palms, Michael Moore has vowed to take the fight to the “last president of America” with his new documentary, Fahrenheit 11/9.
Ignore the stats about low unemployment, a booming economy, efforts toward the nuclear disarming of North Korea. America is actually on the verge of total annihilation from the tyrannical despot-in-chief, Donald J. Trump. At least that’s what the trailer for Moore’s new movie is aiming to make you think.
The trailer opened with a quintessential shot of Michael Moore, staring resolutely at a government building with his trademark prescription sunglasses and baseball cap. One thing is clear, Moore is on a mission, a mission to make Trump look bad with some carefully-edited shots, and conveniently-placed soundbites. The thrumming bassline encouraged the feeling of anticipation as a text appears on screen, asking “Can’t take the insanity anymore?”
The next set of shots showed what appeared to be a blue-collar, middle America type man, with a surprisingly different take on the issues than what you’d expect. In a southern drawl, the man exclaimed: “I’m sick and tired of people telling me that America is the greatest country! Because we can kick your ass?!” Wow, a country boy with anti-American sentiments. Well played, Mr. Moore.
Consider our expectations subverted.
The rest of the trailer ramped up the America-is-burning imagery, cutting between shots of Donald during his most fiery public-speaking moments, and commentary from political all-stars across the spectrum, including David Hogg and Roger Stone. There is a shot in which Donald, at the podium, imitates pulling a trigger at the camera, of course prompting the audience to scream internally, “My goodness, that’s what he’s doing to our country!!”
“This is the movie that ends the madness,” the trailer professed, all while lining up footage portraying America to be a land run by Nazis and crazed militiamen just itching to put bullet holes in anything that breathes. The imminent race war was hinted at, as is the threat of redneck violence that will befall this nation if Trump’s power is ever seriously threatened.
We see men gathered around a burning cross and swastika clearly representing our society’s burgeoning lynch mob festival circuit, and a random drone is shown shooting missiles at some undisclosed building. “It’s all too real,” the trailer implied, and sure, it gets the blood-pumping, I guess. But what on earth are we exactly looking at?
Well, don’t think too hard about that one. Just revel in the glory of watching our liberal savior spray some of the infamously-contaminated Flint, Michigan water on the driveway of Governor Rick Snyder's home. Unfortunately, Snyder’s home appears to have a gate, and a long driveway, so Moore can’t get too close. But it's still epic, right?
Anyways the trailer jumped right back to Donald and his “evil genius” for world domination. There is a quick succession of cuts from Trump’s presidential actions during the last two years, coupled with some disturbing horror music. It built up to the climactic shot of a stone-faced Donald, if he were being revealed as some freakish monster. The nightmare is solidified once Moore’s eerie vocals break through. “Ladies and gentlemen, the last president of the United States.”
What on earth does that mean, Mr. Moore? Is this all really that terrifying? Or could it be that this is just a salacious and over-hyped propaganda piece designed to serve your partisan friends and your own self-righteousness? You make a tough sell, but unfortunately most people know it’s the latter one that’s true.
