Is it too late to review "Fahrenheit 9/11?" I don't think so. Millions of Americans haven't seen it -- more than have, as a matter of fact. But we'll all see it eventually. It's inescapable, like all the best propaganda.

Yes, propaganda. Michael Moore didn't intend to make a dispassionate documentary. He intended to impale George W. Bush on a stake of celluloid, and that's exactly what he did. But even if you consider yourself a Bush supporter or a Republican, you owe it to yourself to watch "Fahrenheit 9/11." It's not just a movie. It's a cultural artifact of this particular time in history.

Having pronounced the film propaganda, let me now dispose of the factual questions. If you want to know where the movie is accurate and where it isn't, there are a number of articles examining that question. On the far side of hostile, do a web search for Dave Kopel's article "Michael Moore's 59 Deceits." Then decide for yourself, in each case, whether Moore or Kopel got it right. I can't untangle the mess for you, and I wouldn't want to. Per Steve Jobs, "the journey is the reward."

Brief plot summary: "Fahrenheit 9/11" starts with the contested 2000 presidential election; moves on to 9/11; digresses into the Bush family's alleged past connections with Osama bin Laden; briefly touches on the invasion of Afghanistan; flirts with the issue of civil liberties since 9/11; and concludes with the war in Iraq.

Every section of the film except the Iraq section harps relentlessly on George W. Bush's alleged moral failings, lies and corrupt connections. He stole the 2000 election; he and his dad were in bed with the bin Ladens and the Saudis on the business front; every action, every appointment to office, every talking point ties back to the profit motive.

How much of it is factual? Undoubtedly, some of it is. And a good case can be made that some of it isn't. The question isn't really whether each individual factual claim stands up, but whether the overall portrayal of Bush as an evil, or at the very least culpably venal, man is correct. I think it is, but I've thought that since before the film was made, so I can't hold myself up as an objective judge in that regard.

It's the section on Iraq that is most effective in terms of simply turning the viewer's emotions inside out. The footage here is not for the children -- I've medevaced wounded Marines and seen a number of things that nobody should ever have to see, and I quailed at it. Wailing mothers (Iraqi and American). Explosions. Torn bodies. Live children being stitched up. Dead children being tossed in the backs of pickup trucks.

If you can watch this part of the film and still approve of the war, you're made of sterner stuff than I am (of course, once again, I opposed the war from the beginning, so maybe my perspective is skewed).

If you can watch this film in its entirety and still vote for George W. Bush next month, then you've either found a better debunking source than I have or you're seriously screwed up. But, of course, I had no intention of voting for Bush anyway, so consider this another perspective alert.

Side comments:

The cinematographic quality of the film is wonderful. It has "production value." It's well-made, well-written, easy on the eyes (as film -- not the content), and the soundtrack works well (guitar mood music and appropriate thematic choices for country and rock segues).

It's funny. Really. You'll see.

It's good propaganda. There's nothing wrong with propaganda in a good cause. Your opinion of the movie will probably reflect your position on the issues.

The DVD includes some reasonably interesting "extras" -- a featurette on the film's theatrical release, several new scenes, montages and interviews, some news footage of administration testimony and press briefings. I wouldn't buy it for the extras, of course, but they're nice little value added things.

Love "Fahrenheit 9/11" or not, it's difficult to escape the conclusion that, 50 years from now, people will regard it as a historical document and an accurate depiction of America in the years 2001 to 2004. That's how good propaganda works -- it becomes the unofficial official record.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older