Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media

Chomsky is one of my heroes, so I am a little biased. I consider myself a moderate, and I see Chomsky as a transcendent of politics. He spouts the truth, and tries to decipher incredibly complex institutional interactions. This doc will make you think about the world you live in like you've never thought about it before, being led by one of the premier thinkers of our time. Chomsky will be remembered far beyond the present, a true maverick and one of the few people intelligent enough to address societal and institutional ills and be right close to 100% of the time.

Do NOT dismiss Chomsky because you think he's a lefty nut. He's not a pre-Bowling for Columbine Michael Moore. Noam Chomsky is a distinguished intellectual in the truest sense with a near 100% accuracy in placing his words properly in sentences. When you hear him speak, try to focus on how clearly and concisely his ideas are discussed. Then look into his eyes and take note of his demeanor. A human body does not suit a mind like his. This documentary is a must for truth seekers and lefties. It is long, but you can watch it in parts. If you wanna have a great discussion, watch it with one or two other people. Its inevitable. 10/10

The film makers, Mark Achbar and Peter Wintonick, achieve the seemingly impossible by turning Noam Chomsky's dry political theories and persona into a fascinating, entertaining movie, and all on a presumably tight budget. If you want to gain insight into the workings of the US media system then this movie will give you some food for thought. Hardly surprising then that Hollywood did not award them an Oscar for this, even thought they sure would have deserved one.

Plain and simple, this was a good movie. At first blush, one may want to say, "Oh, it's kind of like Farenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore". Well, sure - you could say that. But you'll quickly see that this isn't an attack on a president or an administration or a wealthy family. Rather, it's a film that outlines the propaganda machine among all of our media channels (radio, TV, print, etc.)

It's long at 2 hours and 45 minutes, but it's worth it. It will make you think about why you think something, and make you realize that propaganda isn't something that happens in other countries. We do a great job of it here in the U.S.

This movie, like the title suggests is required viewing for every single person living in the free world. Not many movies can claim to start political and grass-roots movements but this one has.

If you value your intelligence, if you don't believe a pre-fabricated word of what the media machine throws at you, if you want to fight to keep your intellect alive and your own individual thinking original, if you are sick and tired of how this world is NOW and passionately want to change it for the better, then this movie is for you. The movie and accompanying book claim to be primers in intellectual self-defense, which they certainly are but beyond that, they also serve to showcase the many talents of linguist/political dissident/writer/philosopher/professor Noam Chomsky.

I'm surprised the movie didn't win a Best Documentary Oscar, which it certainly should have, perhaps more than anything it just goes to show you that the contents of this movie probably strike too close to home and make the media elite squirm in their seats.

Take 3 hours off some Sunday afternoon instead of watching the football game and WATCH THIS MOVIE, you won't regret it! The movie leaves you with an immense feeling of hope and a profound sense that each one of us can do something actively and constructively in order to make this a better world to live in. If you're apolitical now and/or politically inactive, you won't be after you watch this movie. Guaranteed.

Having seen Chomsky in other documentaries stoked my desire to pick this one up. Unfortunately, it focuses a bit too much on the cult of personality rather than quickly summing up who this guy is and what he's about. I got trigger-finger after the first 20 minutes of this, but I was glad I didn't surf through the scenes, as I was paid off when it cites the examples the DVD card promised.

Of particular import are the scenes where Chomsky's views are challenged by heads of state and news commentators and clearly shows us why we haven't heard or seen more from this controversial man.

Eventually the viewer gets the full range of Chomsky's purpose, and for that I am glad, I feel the richer for it, I will continue to seek films that he's part of, but I hope those filmmakers, such as those responsible for "The Corporation", will spare me the longwindedness of this film and get to the meat in due time.

Cheers: Questions the integrity of state and corporate sponsored news; we discover how he gets his news.

Caveats: Longwinded ... needs to be edited down by some 20 minutes; bounces around a lot.