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BIS 347

5 February 2018

Where to Invade Next: Scene Analysis

Michael Moore’s documentary, Where to Invade Next (2016), is an analytical and critical

documentary that highlights the contrast between social and political issues in the United States

versus other countries. He explores different aspects of these countries that the United States

could incorporate to improve the current state of affairs in our country, some of which being free

healthcare, free education, and rehabilitation focused prison systems. One of the scenes in this

documentary that appealed to me the most was the segment where Moore travels to Germany to

learn about their extensive school and government programs to educate and pay reparations for

the atrocities that were committed during World War II. Through the heavy invocation of ethos

and pathos through focus, narration, camera, and music elements, Moore delivers a compelling

argument regarding the state of affairs concerning reparations in the United States and puts forth

a call to action to correct this obstacle in American progress.

The scene transitions to remember the past without the use of unnecessary narration, but

rather makes use of famously known scenes depicting Adolf Hitler during his reign. Moore’s use

of historical documentaries serves as a much more powerful transition than could otherwise have

been delivered through the use of narration. It pulls the audience back from the generally laid-

back tone of the documentary to that of a serious historical moment in history. The tonal shift

serves to effectively keep the audience engaged by reminding them that though the tone

throughout the documentary is generally on the lighter side, the topics that are discussed are still

prevalent and should be considered seriously.

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This tonal shift is further strengthened through jumping into the scene with the class

where the first image that the audience sees is a suitcase of someone who was forced into a

concentration camp. The use of the free camera coupled with the use of soft string instrumental

music adds a feel of authenticity and empathy through pulling in the audience into the context of

the scene. The lack of narration aids the engagement of the audience by not creating an

unnecessary distraction from the content of the scene itself and the present heavy tone. All in all,

in the beginning of the scene itself, the use of camera, tonal shifts, narration choices, and

background music, Moore successfully sets up the mood for the overall scene.

Throughout the scene we see contrasting images of children learning about the horrors

that occurred in concentration camps and of old documentaries filmed during World War II of

people being forced en mass to these camps. The contrasting effects contribute to the

documentary as a strategy to invoke pathos with the watcher. There is little narration at the

beginning as the scene is set up, but after the scene has been successfully set up, the narration is

slow and deliberate to allow the audience to thoroughly digest and contemplate the message that

is being delivered.

The use of the of the free camera is consistently used throughout the scene, except for the

scenes that call for the audience to read certain texts, such as the art installations put up

throughout the town. The choice of using a steady camera in these cases contributes a lot more to

the scene opposed to if a free camera had been used. Furthermore, by stabilizing the images

being shown, the audience is able to focus easily to be able to smoothly transition to Moore’s

commentary on the contrasting American ideals regarding reparations.

As the scene segues into the conversation about the American history of genocide and the

manner that it is remembered in, Moore displays photography and videos depicting groups of

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Native Americans and violent imagery of African Americans and the atrocities that were

committed against them by the white population. Through the use of graphic imagery, Moore

effectively provides a critique of the American past and its lack of reparations towards minority

groups that were wronged under the influence of racism, sexism, and the like. This critique is

reinforced by the contrasting footage of what seems to be masses of people at a Fourth of July

parade and photographs of lynching and murders of African American people.

Overall, Moore’s techniques using the camera combined with the use of music and

narration creates an atmosphere for the audience that forces them to deliberate the critique he

presents and empathize with the argument. These film-making techniques largely contribute in

creating a scene that is effective not only in invoking a sense of pathos, but also ethos, as it

appeals to the morality of the audience. The film techniques, especially the narration, do not

force the audience into a defensive position, but rather one of contemplation so that the call to

action he puts forward is effectively delivered rather than rejected.