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Michael Moore’s latest film, “Capitalism: A Love Story,” is his best, most mature film to date. 

While still full of funny antics and zany humor, Moore brings a more nuanced approach, infused with a personal retrospective of his life and work that adds a layer of depth beyond the core topic, which is, of course, capitalism as practiced today in America.

The film opens with an educational short about the fall of Rome, into which Moore intercuts scenes of modern day America. Moore believes America may be headed for the same fall as the Roman Empire experienced, and for all the same reasons. 

The film then shifts to a man being foreclosed upon. He had no trouble paying his mortgage until his payments went up dramatically, an all too common story these days. Moore notices that some sixty percent of foreclosure notices come from a company headquartered, ironically, in Moore’s old hometown: Flint, Michigan. 

Moore, who was raised Catholic, decides to ask a priest whether capitalism is a sin. The priest assures him capitalism is the antithesis of the teachings of Jesus, which were all about loving your neighbor, watching out for each other, never putting your own gain ahead of the greater good.

Moore then imagines the opposite – Capitalist Crusader Jesus. Using footage from some old biblical film, Moore puts new words in Jesus’ mouth, to hilarious effect. 

Moore introduced me to something I had never heard of, that truly shocked me. Corporations like Wal-Mart, Enron, and many others with more family-friendly names take out life insurance policies on employees who have health issues, and profit when the employee dies.

Of course, they don’t share this profit with the families suddenly stripped of their breadwinners. That wouldn’t be the capitalist way. 

The policies are called “dead peasant” policies. As Moore points out, these policies should be illegal. You’re not allowed to take out fire insurance on your neighbor’s house. That would give you an incentive to burn his house down.

But your employer is allowed to take out a life policy on you, and then work you literally to death. (A scroll at the end of the film notes that Wal-Mart, at least, no longer takes out such policies.) 

Moore takes us to a town in Pennsylvania that decided to outsource its juvenile detention facility to a private company with, again, horrific effect.  He also shows us how the pilots who fly our commercial planes are so underpaid some of them have to moonlight in other positions to make a living.  

I was surprised and pleased to see Moore turn his guns to Chris Dodd, considered one of the liberal leaders in the Senate. Moore explores Countrywide Financial leader Robert Feinberg’s VIP list, the people who received below-market rates on their loans because they were “friends of Bob” while the rest of us had to pay higher rates to make up the difference.

Dodd was a recipient of two such loans. While Dodd was officially investigated and cleared by a Senate ethics panel, Moore isn’t letting him off the hook as easily. Good for Moore. 

Moore puts his own father on camera, taking him to the former General Motors site for some personal history. And this goes to the heart of what makes this film strong. Moore reviews his own journey, from a childhood of middle class security through a world changing underfoot, where people are starting to slide out of the middle class into more desperate situations.

He closes the loop on some of his earlier projects, and ends with a powerful call to action. He’s been fighting for us in every film he’s made. He asks us to join him in greater numbers, and quickly.  

I’m avoiding spoiling some wonderful moments in the film because you really need to see it for yourself. And most important, Moore’s detractors really need to see this film. I think they’ll be surprised to learn he’s been on their side all along.

We’re all in this financial muck together, and it’s going to take more than a partisan effort to solve it.

Lisa Pease is a historian and writer who specializes in the mysteries of the John F. Kennedy era. She's also a movie buff.   

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