Michael Moore and the Practice of Documentary

Jamie Lowe

My study of documentary in my factual film and television module introduced me to Michael Moore. I wrote an essay in response to the way he constructs his arguments via autobiographical frameworks.

A common critique of Moore is that his representation of self serves to show him as a working class ‘everyman’ which obviously he isn’t, having made a healthy dollar or two off his films. My essay explored his uses of documentary modes and addressed the argument that his representation of self is contradicted by his success.

I have noted, especially from watching his films in chronological order, that his sense of self charts his rise to success in order to combat the notions that he pretends not to be successful in order to sell his films to liberal supporters of the left.

Michael Moore and the Practice of Documentary 

Michael Moore is famously one of the “most cogent…

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