The papers and networks are full of stories today about how Disney is blocking the release of Michael Moore's latest picture. Naturally, this angers me but I can't say I'm too surprised.
I should state upfront that I don't have any great familiarity with Mr. Moore's work. I heard good things about Bowling For Columbine but have a hard time believing that a game show could translate well to the silver screen. (Ever see The Gong Show Movie? I rest my case). I also missed his highly acclaimed first film, Roger And Me, as I mistakenly took in a Times Square flick called Rogerin' Me - not the same thing. Still, I do admire him for having a political conscience. In that way, he is following in the footsteps of Lombaire, who was one of the first directors to bravely advance the cause of gay acceptance with his 1961 film, Infirmières In Amour With Autres Infirmières (Nurses In Love With Other Nurses), though admittedly the lighting in the shower scenes could've been much better.
I just don't see how Mr. M. ever thought he would get a fair shake out of Disney. Let's face it: when it comes to artistic freedom, Le Mickey has always been his corporate master's four-fingered bitch. Take one of the earliest of Disney's so-called "classics," Dumbo. What could have been, 40 years before Lynch, an allegory on the life of John Merrick became instead meaningless drivel about a flying elephant.
What about Song Of The South? Everyone knows the real song of the South, circa 1946: Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay/The deleterious effects of the bigoted social construct created by the white male superiority complex linger to this day! But no, Disney would not confront viewers with this harsh reality. Or how about The Jungle Book? Originally conceived as an expose of Michael Rockefeller's mysterious disappearance among the New Guinea headhunters, it became just another stupid talking bear movie.
But probably the most unforgiveable Disney film was Aladdin. Given the opportunity to educate the Western populace, especially children, about Arabic culture, they reduced the entire Middle East experience to princesses, magic carpet rides, and Robin Williams' prefab ad-libs. If the film were aiming for any reality at all, Aladdin would've used at least one of his wishes on Palestinian statehood. That he did not speaks to a cultural tone-deafness that this country is now paying a heavy price for. Surely, all of us must shoulder some blame for failing to prevent the terrorist attacks of 9/11 but Disney's refusal to more respectfully dramatize the resentments simmering within a man like Jafar must rank as one of the most missed of all opportunities.
Anyway, I hope to interview Mr. Moore about this controversy when his film debuts at Cannes later this month. And unlike my Festival interview with Peter Jackson some years back, I hope we are both fully clothed.
