Assessing the merits of a political film is a tricky business. Obviously, its quality is partly a function of its power to persuade, but its persuasiveness is in the eye of the beholder.
Scalding and glib, derisive yet impassioned, Fahrenheit 9/11 is an intensely resonant piece of Bush-bashing, because it lets the president do most of the work.
There are plenty of laughs whenever Moore wants to twist the knife, but the bottom line is that he respects and trusts his fellow Americans a lot more than Bush does.
The sum of all this is moderately rousing and deliciously irreverent in the Moore style, but not earthshaking as journalism, and devoid of anything that the average person doesn't already know from reading the newspaper.
That's the real problem with Fahrenheit 9/11: not the message, but the method… Moore’s default mode is overkill: he even notes that on the night before the attacks Bush slept on "fine French linen." Surely scratchy muslin wouldn't have stopped the evildoers.
Moore's supporters are quick to impugn the liberal credentials of anyone who criticizes his presentation of the information he digs up (or, in some cases, makes up). For them, Michael Moore is the issues he talks about, so his detractors must be enemies of democratic principles. It's an old trick, akin to the way Pauline Kael was accused of being insensitive about the Holocaust when she didn't like "Shoah."
Regardless of the factuality of the events shown in the film, and regardless of the controversy that surrounds it, the movie is so meticulously made, you find yourself (even temporarily) convinced that every single thing Moore throws at you is true.
It's clear that Michael Moore often has his own agenda, but I'm sure if he could prove any of the things he says in this film, a lot of people would be in prison. Some things are VERY interesting and really makes you think, while other stuff is complete bull meant to serve his personal agenda, never the less, it was entertaining and it does gives you something to think about.
A very superficial, but critical look at the events of 9/11 and everything that followed afterwards. Having seen this in the late 2000's after previously watching many documentaries about 9/11 possibly being a conspiracy perpetrated by rich powerful men, possibly some in or with connections to people within the US government, I found this film to be really superficial and timid in asking any tough questions. I highly recommend you watch the Internet movie "Loose Change" instead, the 2nd edition if you can find it. But Fahrenheit 9/11 is alright, just don't use it as your main source of information.
A good documentary but your enjoyment of it will depend too much on how you feel about sensitive political issues. I believe that most of what is portrayed here is relevant and true and wish more people would at least have an open mind about this.