Michael Moore's 'Sicko' Review
Controversial Filmmaker Takes on Health Care
Review of Michael Moore's latest documentary, Sicko.It takes on a subject that is near and dear to most people - health care.
Michael Moore is no stranger to controversy. He has taken on corporations, a president, as well as many other subjects in his TV shows, movies and books. Moore’s most recent documentary, Sicko, takes on the subject that affects all Americans – health care.
The Failing United States Health Care
Most Americans would agree that there is a problem with the health care system in the United States. More often than not it works against those it is supposed to be helping. To make this point more poignant, Moore tells us the story of some people thrown under the bus by American insurance companies.
One of the many things Moore does well is tell a story. As the faces of these people are shown and their stories spun, the audience sees their lives and the lives their loved ones. This draws them in subtly, unaware its happening.
Moore pulls the audience further in when he tells the tale of a few 9-11 heroes. Five years after the tragedy, these men and women are still fighting the effects of working at Ground Zero. They are also fighting to get the proper care they need to live normal lives.
Moore weaves these tales together masterfully. As he does, he inconspicuously wraps a thread or two around the heart of the audience so they become part of the tapestry.
Health Care System: The United States vs. Europe and Canada
Now that Sicko has the audience’s heart, it’s goes for their mind. Moore first takes a trip to America's northern neighbors and then to Britain and France to check out their health care systems.
Moore paints a rosy picture of smiling patients, happy with everything about the healthcare they receive. He talks with doctors, patients, hospital workers, pharmacists, and anyone else that gets in the sites of his camera.
With all the people he talks to, there’s not a single complaint among them. So that means everyone is ecstatic with the health care they receive in their country. That’s the impression Sicko leads the audience to believe, anyways. But is it true?
The fact that the health care system in the United States has serious issues is glaringly obvious. But there are also problems with all of the health care systems that Moore glorifies. A simple internet search will poke holes all throughout the happy go lucky picture that Moore tries to paint with Sicko. But this is Moore doing what Moore does best.
Moore’s Cuban Excursion
Another example of Moore’s manipulation of the facts in Sicko is his little trip to Cuba. Moore gathers the three 9-11 heroes he talked to earlier, along with some other ailing Americans, and takes a boat trip to Guantanamo Bay. They’re not doing anything illegal, Moore leads us to believe, they’re just going to American soil.
Obviously they were turned away at Guantanamo Bay. So they have no other choice but to go to the loving and accepting government of Cuba. The Cuban hospitals welcome these surprise visitors with open arms. The fact that Moore planned this and contacted the hospitals beforehand never comes out in Sicko.[1]
A Well Done Piece of Propaganda
Michael Moore is an excellent filmmaker. He makes documentaries that entertain and educate, at least with the facts that he would have the audience believe. Sicko is an engaging piece of work that brings an important subject to the forefront. It is also a filled with many half truths and lies of omission. In other words, it’s just a normal day for Michael Moore.
[1] Davidson, Lynn “Time Bought into Michael Moore’s ‘Sicko’ Schtick” – www.newsbusters.org
