Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism

Robert Greenwald
2004

Robert Greenwald seems to have a good thing going here. His politically charged documentaries have the feel of genuine news exposes. He makes them economically, frequently, and effectively, and has worked with such left-wing-agenda topics as Walmart, the post 9/11 clamp on civil liberties, and the Iraq war. And yes, this is same man who directed the 1980's "modern musical," Xanadu.

Outfoxed takes a look at the journalistically repugnant nature of Rupert Murdoch's Fox News machine. There's a lot to work with here and very little elaboration is needed thanks to a hefty dose of genuine Fox News footage. The clips speak volumes for themselves: the highlight being a lengthy montage of Bill O'Reilly telling guests to "shut up" preceded by his on-air claim that he's only ever used the phrase once in broadcast.

Its pretty clear that this film was made on the cheap. The lousy graphics and hokey production value add a subtle sense of urgency to the message, and as long as the actual info is cleverly delivered in a crystal clear package then who really cares?

This supremely efficient form of political commentary is a far cry from the excesses of Michael Moore's flamboyant enterprises. While Moore's filmmaking is grand, sweeping, and entertaining to boot his polarizing personality and oppressive screen presence tend to overshadow his statements a bit. While Greenwald sticks extremely close to the empirical evidence, Moore gravitates towards tantalizing conspiracies. There's nothing wrong with Moore's approach, but in the age of political pundits it seems that Greenwald may be a little more adept at reaching the people.

Review by Brett A. Scieszka