Soon enough, Michael Moore won’t be the only talk of the
town.
As “Fahrenheit 9/11″ trickles off the silver screen,
other political documentaries are making their way into smaller
movie theaters, and the numbers are growing. “The Yes
Men,” which opened on Friday, is one of the many new
documentaries. The film features two men who are mistaken for
members of the World Trade Organization and attend lectures and
conferences representing the WTO in order to point out its
hypocrisy.
With the increased entrance of political documentaries in the
mainstream media, it’s important not to overlook their
societal and political role.
The main question is, has film become the new medium for
influencing people’s political views?
“Political documentaries bring political discussion into
our home,” said second-year political science student Bryan
Park. “When they make it into the big screen or smaller movie
theaters, regular moviegoers are able to understand what’s
going on. … Many more people will be more politically
aware.”
But the validity of the political documentary is questioned due
to its media category: the art of film. Usually showcasing one side
of an issue, the documentary is in itself a political message
enveloped in film.
“I think (political documentaries) are valuable,”
said Park. “But they can also be dangerous. When people like
the art form, they may associate the meaning of the art form as a
doctrine of their own. When you take politics and add that sort of
twist to it, it also becomes propaganda.”
While it may seem farfetched to claim that the political
documentary will replace the more widespread, conventional news
media, the art form strongly addresses a series of controversial
issues that may begin to attract more public interest.
Still, documentary-goers are far outnumbered when compared with
those who choose to get their news from radio, television and
newspapers.
“I think movies are influential as a medium ““ they
have the potential to move people,” said assistant political
science professor Lynn Vavreck. “But most people who are
interested enough in politics to go see a political documentary
already know who they’re going to vote for.”
Whether or not the political documentary directly influences the
American public is undetermined. But with the growing number of
political films out in theaters, it is difficult to deny the fact
that it is an art form that the American public has developed a
taste for.
“Movies are generally an interpretation of the
director,” said Park. “Even though these political
documentaries may have facts to back up their interpretation,
it’s still an opinion, and it’s not necessarily the
right or truthful one.”