Bowling for Columbine is a documentary directed, written and produced by director Michael Moore, with the aim of opening people's eyes to the issue of gun control. The documentary focuses on the vicious 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in which two former students coldly killed 16 people and injured 21. The film investigates gun regulations in the United States and the lack of laws related to gun ownership. In Bowling for Columbine, what is shown is an anti-political, critical, and persuasive perspective that repeatedly "lies to tell the truth" to help spread awareness of the problem polluting modern America. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay As with most films that explore sensitive topics, viewers have various controversial opinions about the documentary. More specifically, opinions regarding how much of the documentary is supported by true facts. The film positions the audience through the use of persuasive techniques to accept the "truth" exposed in the film, although these issues are still very real in the United States. Bowling for Columbine investigates several exaggerated portrayals of its nation's population, as well as informing audiences about the problems associated with current gun regulations. Moore is continually superficial with the questions he asks; the use of juxtaposition as well as his witty comments are used to Moore's advantage to lighten the fact that the film is based on the problem of people killing other people. From the beginning of the film, Moore begins his prejudice routine. The film opens with Moore in a bank opening a new account which once opened gives him a gun. He asks several questions to mock employees, such as "don't you think it's a little dangerous to deliver guns to the bank?", and doesn't let employees respond on video. These techniques are used to mock workers, helping Moore realize his intentions to incompetently demonstrate the "truth" by deceiving viewers. In addition to his derisive debriefs, Moore uses songs and music to influence viewers through emotion. A truly shocking and disturbing part of the film is the "What a Wonderful World" montage, in which Louis Armstrong's famous song plays over photos and video flashes of past American decisions related to war and violence. The use of the song is essentially a mockery of the American government, suggesting that the world we live in is ironically not a "wonderful world", but rather the opposite thanks to violence and murder. Videos of people dying, being shot, and foreigners carrying American-made weapons convey a sense of a mismanaged and broken government. The director does this to distance the audience from the political leaders and towards his personal opinions, making the audience agitated. Throughout the film, Moore uses several techniques to make viewers feel uncomfortable and to reinforce his point that gun control is a problem. This is demonstrated in the scene with the 911 emergency calls played over the slow motion video recording of the hallways of Columbine High. Deliberately crafted to position the audience as students, this scene gives off an emotion of unease as the viewers feel grief and pain for the students who were killed on the day of the massacre. The video then cuts to CCTV footage from the canteen on the day of the shooting, showing gunfire, bombs exploding, students.