When Bowling for Columbine was released in 2002 it had a profound impact, both on the documentary form and on its maker, Michael Moore. No longer the guy on the outside in tv shows ‘The Awful Truth’ and ‘TV Nation’, he was big time, front and centre… and an Academy Award winning filmmaker. Fahrenheit 9/11 followed as the highest grossing documentary of all time.* Moore became a punching bag for right-wing commentators, and somehow bigger than the stories he told.
That said, he still has some points to make, and they are made with aplomb. Moore’s thesis is skillfully constructed, gradually building the impression of a system so manipulated by the corporations and lobbyists that the audience can make only one conclusion – that the USA needs universal health care. His argument is exemplified further by visits to countries such as Canada, the UK and Cuba to chat to health care providers and patients, contrasting their seeming happiness with their health systems with the despair he has so clearly demonstrated at home.
It is in this section that Moore finally steps in front of the camera, and that the audience may feel more comfortable. There he is, the great hulking frame and bad dress sense making him accessible and friendly. He is willing to act dumb to make the point that Americans may well be shocked by conditions in other countries. Unfortunately, this part of the film is also the weakest. Moore’s trademark stunt towards the end of the film feels more like manipulation (of both the subjects and the audience), and the notion that he and a bunch of other Americans could just wander around Cuba with a film crew is plain silly.
Disregarding the manipulation of the less fortunate that, like it or not, is also a stock component of the Moore canon, Sicko is a well-made argument for health care reform in the USA. Perhaps if his opponents weren’t so caught up in left- vs right-wing politics, and could think with compassion about their fellow countrymen, there would be hope of change. Sadly, it seems Moore’s plea is likely to fall on partisan ears.