Because the man himself is so ungainly, it is easy to overlook Michael Moore’s voice. Where his body seems ungovernable and a source of embarrassment to him – he often can’t bear to watch himself on screen – his voice is confident, almost suave. There’s a moment in his least known movie, The Big One (1997), where he launches effortlessly into a gravelly imitation of Dylan singing ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’’ before reverting, with a chuckle, to his own spoken voice. In his films, his physical appearance – in flannel shirt and outsize jeans – represents Moore the underdog, the champion of regular working folk.
Subscribers to the print edition can log in to view the entire article. For information about subscribing to the London Review of Booksclick here. This article is available for purchase online. Buy this article.
Bee Wilson is the author of Swindled: From Poison Sweets to Counterfeit Coffee.
Karel Reisz Remembered Andrew O’Hagan, Michael Wood, Alan Sillitoe, Freddie Francis, Stephen Frears, Vanessa Redgrave, David Warner, John Lahr, James Toback, Roger Spottiswoode, Meryl Streep, John Bloom, Bernard Jacobson, Tom Murphy, Penelope Wilton, Rosaleen Linehan, John Guare
print layout
tell a friend