In this blog post, I will discuss why I chose Michael Moore’s documentary ‘Roger & Me’, as well as analyze its sequences, formal characteristics, and my personal impressions.

Reasons for Choosing the Film

During my teenage years, I was so absorbed in daydreaming rather than studying that I once ranked last in the entire school. At the time, I believed the problem lay not with individual ability but with the education system itself. Michael Moore’s book ‘Stupid White Men’, which I came across by chance, revealed a side of America that was vastly different from the image I had held. It was a time when the U.S. was waging the Iraq War, and encountering a book that offered such scathing criticism of a nation’s internal affairs was a major shock.
That book made me realize the importance of the media and the delivery of facts, and for a time, it inspired me to dream of becoming a journalist. However, I eventually ended up pursuing a career in film, and through a documentary class, I encountered Michael Moore’s work again after 12 years. Back in middle school, I hadn’t been able to delve deeply into his work because it was difficult to find footage of him, but seeing him now, after so much time had passed, revealed a different side of him from the memories of my youth.
Another reason was that the scenery of my hometown overlapped with the situation in Flint. My hometown, Pohang, flourished as a steel-making hub before undergoing significant changes, while Flint experienced the collapse of GM, which was once the industrial heart of America. Watching Flint’s decline reminded me of Pohang’s past and future, and in that regard, I felt a deep kinship with Michael Moore and his work.

Sequence Analysis

Sequence 1 — Opening Sequence: The film begins with an episode from Moore’s childhood. In a scene where his younger sister is born on his first birthday and he receives a cake from his father, Moore expresses the hope that “life will be better than cake.” This is followed by footage depicting the history of Flint and GM, as well as evidence that members of his own family had worked at GM.
Sequence 2: The relentless pursuit of Roger (Roger Smith) is introduced. Moore attempts to invite GM Chairman Roger Smith to Flint to witness the city’s decline firsthand, but is repeatedly blocked by company security and management. Flint is shown losing its population and urban functions, and a shocking statistic is presented: there are 50,000 more rats than people in the city.
Sequence 3: Figures who turn a blind eye to Flint or treat it hypocritically are revealed. Events that appear to be former President Reagan meeting with the unemployed to offer jobs are shown, but in reality, they provide no tangible help. In contrast, a scene is shown at a lavish party hosted by GM shareholders where laid-off workers are lined up like mannequins while the guests preach the moral of “work hard.”
Sequence 4: Deputy Sheriff Fred Ross’s eviction operations are shown repeatedly. Primarily, people laid off from GM are evicted for failing to pay rent, and Ross accelerates Flint’s human and social collapse by evicting dozens of households a day. Meanwhile, Roger Smith continues to live a lavish lifestyle thanks to the profits from the layoffs, and the celebrities and politicians invited to the Flint festival offer empty words of comfort while turning a blind eye to the residents’ real suffering.
Sequence 5: Specific scenes of evictions unfold. Some cannot pay rent because they need to buy school uniforms, and the situation becomes so dire—with so many households being evicted that there aren’t enough trucks—that the moving company is forced to buy more trucks, creating a situation that is both tragic and absurd. Moore wanders through various cities searching for Smith but continues to fail.
Sequence 6: Public works projects aimed at urban regeneration are introduced, but they are depicted as failures. Flint officials attempt to revitalize the city as a tourist destination by building massive hotels, theme parks, and shopping malls, but tourists never come, and the projects fail. Residents survive through informal means, such as catching and selling rabbits, and these scenes reveal the lives of the “abandoned people” amidst industrialization and market shifts.
Sequence 7: A scene depicts the construction of a state-of-the-art prison in response to rising crime rates and overcrowding. Local elites celebrate the new facility with an opening party, but the real problems—unemployment and poverty—remain unresolved.
Sequence 8: Finally, Moore confronts GM Chairman Roger Smith at the shareholders’ meeting but is denied the chance to ask a question. A poignant scene follows in which laid-off workers receive nothing but a single flower in front of the closing factory, and the sight of people being laid off on Christmas Eve and evicted on the same day stands in stark contrast to Roger’s lavish celebration. Moore directly proposes to Smith that they visit Flint together, but is rejected. The film concludes by juxtaposing the desolate landscape of Flint with the products being proudly promoted.

Documentary Format

This work maximizes the contrast between past and present by strategically interweaving archival footage with contemporary footage. By juxtaposing star interviews capturing Flint’s past glory with the current ruins of the city, it intensifies the sense of decline.
Moore does not simply separate archival footage and interviews, assigning them distinct functions; instead, he blends the two elements to clearly convey his message. Furthermore, he does not present on-site scenes as mere documentation but intentionally frames them within cinematic compositions, guiding the audience to “read” the scenes. Thanks to this directorial approach, the documentary avoids heavy-handed exposition and comes across as accessible and approachable.

Review

Michael Moore’s documentaries possess both humor and sharpness. His humor, which seems lighthearted yet pierces to the core, and his critical perspective leave a stronger impression than many news or comedy programs. He does not stop at being a mere whistleblower; instead, he maintains an attitude of observing and presenting society without prejudice, much like the innocent gaze of a child.
Therefore, Moore’s behavior—which may seem somewhat rude—is not intended to offend others, but rather serves as a means to help the audience directly experience the world through his eyes. As a result, his documentaries appear lighthearted yet never miss the mark, possessing the power to make viewers see social issues from a different perspective.