Flint, Michigan

In the years leading up to and including the 1980s Flint, Michigan was a place where people lived the American Dream. General Motors (GM) was part of that dream and the people who worked hard were rewarded as the company prospered during the years spent there. During this time the middle class grew out of towns not just in Flint, but all over America. The demand for automobiles was high because employment was high. Life was good or so it seemed to be until General Motors announced in the 1980s that they would shut down their Flint automobile industrial plants.
Why would a huge corporation like General Motors making record profits during this time pull out of what seemed like an ideal situation? It was a question asked by thousands of people in Flint including Michael Moore. Roger & Me is a documentary film of his search for the answers. Written by Moore, the film is about the closing of General Motors' plants in Flint, Michigan, which resulted in the loss of 30,000 jobs. Moore’s hometown is devastated emotionally and financially by the plant closure of this huge corporation. In his efforts to find out the answers to his questions about why GM would do such a thing Moore sets out to interview General Motors chairman Roger Smith which is where Roger comes into play in the title of the film.

Moore's First Film

Roger & Me is Moore’s first film and not only fits into the documentary genre but also fits into the American Independent Film category as Moore both wrote and directed the film. In his DVD commentary Moore delves into some of the financial dealings he made in order to create this low budget film including how he made a deal to receive a reduced rate on film developing. Moore had little choice, as his only source of income during this time was his $99 weekly unemployment check.

Utilizes Rhetorical Form

This film definitely utilizes the rhetorical form in a documentary since Moore makes a persuasive case against GM and attempts to persuaded his viewers to realize that GM is responsible for the devastation of the town of Flint. Moore does try to manipulate viewers feelings in this film by the way that he edits the film, but there is still a serious message to be heard.

Persuade the Audience

The goal of the rhetorical form of a film documentary is to try and persuade the audience to form an opinion about a certain subject and possibly get them to act on that opinion. In his commentary Moore says that he thinks his film was a failure because it did not stimulate any interest in development or help for the town of Flint. Moore utilizes three types of arguments in his efforts to prove his point of view. The first type of argument Moore utilizes in this film is an argument from source. Moore narrates the film himself and uses a strong, firm voice like someone in authority would use because that type of argument makes him seem like a reliable source of information to the viewer. Therefore, Moore makes himself seem trustworthy to his viewers who in turn will believe that his argument is valid.

Subject Centered Argument

The second type of argument Moore utilizes in his film is that of the subject centered argument. In the film Moore comes across as a little bitter about what General Motors did to his hometown. Michael Moore believes that General Motors has an obligation to the people and the town of Flint, Michigan simply because they ran a successful corporation there for years. Other people in Flint probably feel the same way that Moore does. The subject centered argument appeals to those beliefs that people hold in common at certain times in certain cultures. Moore knows that people feel this way and will be persuaded by this tool and therefore he successfully utilizes the subject-centered argument to persuade others in his argument against the automobile giant.

Viewer Centered Argument

Finally, Moore utilizes the viewer-centered argument to persuade his viewers. These are basically appeals to a viewer’s emotions and Moore certainly portrays the town of Flint in a way that earns sympathy from his viewers. However, Moore does not use dates in his film and therefore is able to present certain events in the film out of chronological order in an attempt to persuade his viewers even further. Continuity is pushed aside for the drama created instead. Community leaders in the town of Flint try and do their best to save the town via some urban planning including things such as the mayor of Flint paying TV evangelist Robert Schuller $20,000 to come and hold a giant revival meeting. The city then spends $100 million to build an amusement park tribute called AutoWorld which failed to bring about the revival the town planners were hoping for and unfortunately closed within six months. Then they go on to build a luxury Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Flint, expecting to draw major conventions to the city. According to Moore the business finally went bankrupt, but Moore presents these events out of chronological order. Moore’s argument is solid without resorting to such tactics. This type of persuasion tends to make Moore’s argument weak and makes him radically at odds with his critics.

Problems in Flint

During the course of the film Moore begins to introduce problems that have happened as a result of the loss of jobs in Flint. Moore spends most of his time exploring the devastation of the town rather than pointing fingers at GM. However, while Moore does not come right out and say that General Motors is responsible for this tragedy he certainly does imply that argument. Moore shows us images of dilapidated homes, people being evicted from their homes who were once employed by GM. He shows where rats have taken over homes because the city cannot afford to pick up the garbage more than twice a month since there are no longer enough people to support the town. He shows us images of the businesses that are boarded up now. During his narration Moore speaks compassionately about his hometown, which serves to appeal to the viewer’s emotions, and in doing so proves that he is brilliantly persuasive. However, many of Moore’s critics consider this type of editing to be manipulative. Towards the end of the film Moore switches back and forth between images of a family being evicted from their home on Christmas Eve while at the same time GM Chairman Roger Smith is giving a speech at GM’s Christmas Party about caring for one’s fellow man. The irony is painful yet extremely effective.

Commentary

Listening to Moore’s commentary reveals a side to him that is both touching and endearing. Moore comes to us as someone who grew up living the American Dream. He and his friends grew up believing in the American Dream. After all Moore’s father worked at GM for thirty-three years and raised a family on the wages that he earned there, but that place is no longer there. Moore pauses during various points in the commentary to reflect on buildings in the film that have since been bulldozed away in the fourteen years since he filmed Roger & Me. All that remains of Flint is a sad portrait of what used to be a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

In Conclusion

Roger & Me is a sad portrait of the people who were victims of GM’s corporate greed. GM was experiencing record profits during this time but in an effort to save the company money Roger Smith moved the plant to Mexico and left a ghost town in his wake. Moore attempts to answer the question of whether or not corporate America has a responsibility to the citizens in the towns where they set up business. As Moore finds out it is a question that no one at GM wants to answer.



Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older