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Written by: Michael Moore
Directed by: Michael Moore
Starring: Michael Moore, Rober B. Smith
Rated: R
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Plot
After General Motors closes its factory in Flint, Michigan, eliminating 35,000 jobs, filmmaker Michael Moore undertakes a quixotic quest to interview General Motors' chairman, Roger B. Smith.
Verdict
This could easily be filmed in the modern day. While the premise is almost comical with Moore chasing down the chairman of General Motors to no avail, he documents the people that lose their jobs and in turn their homes. This is only the start that marked the decline of the city that would continue for decades. It's not necessarily impartial, nor is it intended to be, but it reveals the sad truth of who suffers when it's a company versus employees.
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Review
This is Moore's first documentary. Having recently lost his job as a journalist, he moved to his hometown of Flint Michigan, deciding to stage an attempt at interviewing Roger B. Smith to provide a look at the city, the people, and the problems faced. It starts out very personal with Moore talking about his youth and growing up in Flint. His dad worked for Chevrolet. That puts the firings into context while exploring culture and adding an entertainment factor to the documentary.
The closure of the Chevrolet plants and the loss of thirty-thousand jobs wasn't because Chevrolet was hurting financially. The company wanted to move production to Mexico to save a few dollars. Despite the company claiming it's business, we know it's more than that. It's simple greed.
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| Michael Moore |
It's a comedic concept as Moore has no credentials or pedigree. He's not much more than a random person off the street. It's less documentary and more entertainment. This could have been the concept for a Youtube video. Moore sneaks into the plant on the final day under the guise of a television crew. From there he wonders if he could interview Roger B. Smith. Documentarians don't often insert themselves into the story, but that's not quite what this is. It's entertainment and a record of the city as it's clear a decline is imminent. There's the stated quest of an interview, but this explores Flint from various perspectives.
Many people are upset as they've lost their livelihoods. This also follows a sheriff's deputy that's evicting people. It's a stark reality many are facing and more will soon confront. Many GM workers being working at Taco Bell, but they don't fare well. The wealthier in Flint, still see it as a great town but the inescapable fact is that many are leaving. This humanizes the event, and it's not all that different from what's happened to Red Lobster or Joann Fabrics. Capitalism squeezed just a few dollars out of the middle class. The wealthy get another vacation home while the middle and lower classes become destitute.
As jobs went down, crime went up. The city was ruled as the worst place to live. That got worse into the 2000s while Flint layoffs continued for years even after this documentary. The city had to build a second jail. In 2014, the city faced a crisis of contaminated drinking water.
Moore endeavored for a year to speak to Roger B. Smith, following him from GM headquarters to the yacht club, and more. He finally gets into a stockholder's meeting where the board realizes who he is and immediately adjourns the meeting. It's a silly premise as we know Smith won't talk to him, but through that we see layoffs forcing people out of their homes. The chairman of GM refuses to discuss the issue. Instead Smith attends lavish events and even gets a raise. It's a level of callousness that's disappointing. GM rose to prominence through employee labor, and the company drops them when they get a better deal, in the process ruining lives. As Moore's journey ends, he concludes the rich get richer and the poor poorer.
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