Moore vs Christ
A.O. Scott, New York Times:
"Fahrenheit": "Mr. Moore's populist instincts have never been sharper. . . . He is a credit to the republic."
"Passion": "Gibson has exploited the popular appetite for terror and gore for what he and his allies see as a higher end."
Ty Burr, Boston Globe:
"Fahrenheit": "Should be seen because it takes off the gloves and wades into the fray, because it synthesizes the anti-Bush argument like no other work before it, and because it forces you to decide for yourself exactly where passion starts to warp point of view."
"Passion": "If you come seeking theological subtlety, let alone such modern inventions as psychological depth, you'll walk away battered and empty-handed."
David Edelstein, Slate:
"Fahrenheit": After the screening, a friend railed that Moore was exploiting a mother's grief. I suggested that the scene made moral sense in the context of the director's universe, that the exploitation is justified if it saves the lives of other mothers' sons.
"Passion": "A two-hour-and-six-minute snuff movie--The Jesus Chainsaw Massacre--that thinks it's an act of faith."
Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle:
"Fahrenheit": "[Moore] is an indispensable treasure, and his imperfections are part of the reason, because they mark him as real."
"Passion": "It's awful because everything he knows about storytelling has been swept aside by proselytizing zeal."
Geoff Pevre, Toronto Star:
"Fahrenheit": "A plea for America's deliverance. . . . It may not be an argument one agrees with, and it may be unbalanced and propagandistic, but it is both convincingly argued and sincerely motivated."
"Passion": "A work of fundamentalist pornography."
David Sterrit, Christian Science Monitor:
"Fahrenheit": "Is the label 'documentary' appropriate for this openly activist movie? Of course it is, unless you cling to some idealized notion of 'objective' film."
"Passion": "The highly selective screenplay includes only a few of Jesus' words, spoken in occasional flashback scenes."
James Verniere, Boston Herald:
"Fahrenheit": "At a time when the film industry is turning out sugarcoated, content-free junk, Moore has given American viewers a renewed taste for raw meat."
"Passion": "An exercise in sadomasochistic bullying."
