The Movie

In the mid-1980s, amid billions in record profits and prosperity, the General Motors Corporation -- the richest corporation in the world -- decided to shut down eleven of their factories and ship much of their manufacturing operations to Mexico. By paying Mexican workers seventy cents an hour, GM was able to reduce operating costs and generate enough revenue to acquire other companies, such as Hughes Aircraft. In the midst of this giant corporate square-dance, the town of Flint, Michigan – the birthplace of General Motors – was utterly devastated. CEO Roger Smith shipped the local factory jobs to Mexico, laying off over 30,000 Flint workers. Almost overnight, the crime rate skyrocketed. Over half of Flint's population began receiving some kind of government assistance. Money magazine rated Flint as the worst place to live in the entire United States of America. Attempts to rejuvenate the city's downtown district and attract tourism failed. In one rather sadly comical interlude, a live edition of ABC Nightline was to have interviewed city officials to discuss Flint's growing economic depression. Right before the broadcast, the Nightline van was stolen from in front of city hall, and the interview was cancelled. Ironically enough, the thief was an ex-GM factory worker.

Documentary filmmaker and author (or, according to many neo-conservatives, The Most Un-American Person To Walk The Planet Now That The Rosenbergs Are Dead) Michael Moore is a Flint native, whose family worked for GM for decades. With GM's closings of the Flint plants, Moore decided to document what effect the massive destruction of a solidly American workforce would have on his hometown. Beginning in March of 1987 and spanning the course of over two years, Moore shot Roger & Me, a phenomenally powerful documentary in which Moore's darkly comical style paints a vivid portrait of the effect of corporate downsizing and overseas job displacement on small-town America. Throughout the documentary, Moore balances scenes of depression and desperation in Flint with his own futile attempts to interview Roger Smith. The film is a compelling, often humorous while ultimately tragic look at what happens when profits come before people.

The DVD

Video:
Roger & Me was shot with 16mm film and handheld cameras, so no amount of Hollywood wizardry is going to make the film look as dazzling as, say, Attack of the Clones. The film, which is presented in its original full-frame aspect ratio, does look as clean and solid as I've ever seen it. Off the bat, there is a noticeable amount of film grain evident throughout the transfer, which is to be expected. Color levels are reasonably if slightly muted. Compression noise and pixelation artifacts were not to be found, and while I did not notice any edge-enhancement I did spot some shimmering around various light sources. Contrasts were reasonable. Black levels are middling while shadow detail is slightly off. Overall, this is fine representation of what is admittedly limited source material.

Audio:
The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 1.0. The monaural soundtrack is fair, with a reasonable representation of the film's original soundtrack. Dialog is well presented and finely delivered, with little distortion or harshness. Again, with limited source material one cannot expect a pristine treatment, but the movie generally sounds fine. 

Extras:
Michael Moore provides a feature-length Audio Commentary, recorded "in hiding" within his "bunker complex" a few months after his infamous 2003 Oscar speech. Moore is fairly candid, humorous, and insightful throughout this track. He talks at great length of the history of the film, how he had absolutely no filmmaking experience whatsoever as he started filming Roger & Me. He also provides very specific comments about the on-screen action, especially the various Flint residents interviewed in the film and the celebrities and landmarks highlighted throughout the film. Here's an interesting tidbit gleaned from the commentary track: Bob Eubanks, who uttered the infamous Jewish AIDS joke on film, appeared on television with the Anti-Defamation League, decrying Moore's film as "anti-Semitic." Yup, there is a giant question mark painted over my head, too...

The film's theatrical Trailer is also included.

Final Thoughts

Roger & Me electrified audiences when it was released back in 1989. Before Michael Moore became "MICHAEL MOORE!!!", he was a left-leaning journalist who had the stones to doggedly go after and attempt to interview the CEO of the corporation which devastated his hometown. Since then, Moore has gone on to a variety of different projects, from the insanely entertaining television shows TV Nation and The Awful Truth to further documentaries such as The Big One and the Oscar-winning Bowling For Columbine, as well as penning the best-selling books Downsize This! and Stupid White Men. Roger & Me is the most personal of Moore's work, and arguably his leanest and most acerbic. Warner has released a fine DVD of Roger & Me, with a solid presentation of the material and a great commentary track by Michael Moore. My only criticism: why not include the 1992 follow-up special Pets or Meat: The Return to Flint ? (Probable answer: an issue of rights or ownership. Oh well...) Nonetheless, Roger & Me is a great documentary and the DVD comes well recommended.