16: Ain’t no place like Motown…

Julien Temple: Requiem for Detroit /Michael Moore: Capitalism a love story

I recently saw the above two films. There were some interesting comparisons between them.
Julien Temple's film both tells the story of the automobile industry in Detroit and the effect that its decline has had on the city. He talks to local figures including Martha Reeves and John Sinclair about their memories of the city and what they feel about its current situation.

Temple's footage shows a ghostly city whose main industrial buildings and communities are deserted and run down.

The film argues that Detroit has suffered as a result of the short sighted profiteering of those who ran the 'Big three' car companies. They pushed automatic obsolescence and larger more fuel inefficient models such as SUVs, rather than develop new technology. While this lead to boom times during the 1910’s-1920’s and after World War Two over the long term it has meant that the ‘Big Three’ have suffered in last few years as people look for more fuel efficient cars.

The film also explores how the development of post war communities in the suburbs further added to Detroit’s decline and undermined what limited social cohesion there was. The city also has had serious racial divisions, which finally erupted into the major riots of 1967 (which arguably the city has never recovered from).

Temple, who has made documentaries about the Sex Pistols and Clash makes regular references to Detroit’s rich musical history which includes John Lee Hooker, Iggy pop and Eminen as well as Motown.

The footage of the derelict spaces in Detroit is truly astonishing. As one commentator says nature is beginning to reclaim the city. Nature seems to be avenging itself on the city which did most to perpetuate the culture of the car which has had such disastrous consequences for the environment.
There are signs of regeneration in Detroit. However this has happened more as a result of local community activism than any government or business actions. In particular Detroit is at the forefront of the ‘Urban agriculture’ movement which has been lead by elderly Detroiters who originally came from the deep south. Ironically Detroit may now offer a vision of a more environmentally sustainable city.

Anyone who has followed Michael Moore's career will be familiar with the devastation on the closure of the GM plant has had on his home city of Flint, about 70 miles from Detroit.

Moore’s latest film is an exploration of the effects that lassiez-faire capitalism on the USA over the last thirty years. He explores how average American’s have been pushed into debt and poverty as their terms of employment and pay have been reduced, as the power of financial institutions and corporations have increased.

Moore explores the low pay of airline pilots and something called ‘dead peasant’ policies by which corporations are able to take out large insurance policies on their employees.

Moore also discusses the bank bail-out showing how the banks managed to exploit the situation to get a massive government handout.

Moore finishes his film on a positive note, showing Americans taking non-violent peaceful action to reclaim their homes and workplaces and working together.

Moore is obviously still very passionate and funny about the inequalities in US society. However as he says at the end he is tired of doing this and hopes others will take up the cause. Being made a hate figure to the US right has obviously affected him. I hope he will continue to makes films as he still has a considerable amount to say and has been proved right over the long term (compare Requiem for Detroit to his film ‘Roger and Me’ about the effect that GM’ closure of its Flint plant). He reflects on the irony that Flint temporarily was used as a base for banks to send out repossession notices.
Moore also interestingly defends the left wing Roman Catholic clergy of his native Michigan
Both films refer to the Flint strike of 1936-1937 and use the music of Iggy Pop to express the rage of the working American. Both films celebrate the survival of the human spirit and community in the face of an uncaring system. That has to be a good thing.