Michael Moore Takes On WWII

BLACK SCREEN

Sounds of fighter planes flying overhead, dropping bombs, 
explosions, and screaming women and children are heard.

		     MOORE (V.O.)
	 The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor 
	 on December 7, 1941. Some 2,403 
	 Americans were killed and 1,178 were 
	 wounded, all because of an economic 
	 blockade that America had imposed on 
	 Japan. Once again, America had chosen 
	 not to come to the negotiating table. 
	 Instead it showed its arrogance by 
	 believing its interests were more 
	 important than those of other nations.

INT. WHITE HOUSE - OVAL OFFICE - DAY

President Roosevelt is shown sitting behind his desk.

		     MOORE (V.O.)
	 When President Franklin Roosevelt 
	 was first told of the attack, aides 
	 close to him said that Roosevelt did 
	 not get out of his chair. He just 
	 sat there. And sat. And sat. One 
	 White House aide was quoted as saying, 
	 "It must have been hours before he 
	 got up from his chair."

EXT. PARIS - MONTAGE

A series of peaceful Parisian images flash before the screen. 
The citizens are all going about their lives, oblivious to 
any danger; flying kites, having weddings, being rude to 
tourists, etc. Then suddenly...

SMASH CUT TO:

EXT. UTAH BEACH - MORNING

Explosions and gunfire rock the beaches of Normandy as 
American higgens boats and soldiers storm the coastlines.

		     MOORE (V.O.)
	 On June 6, 1944, the United States, 
	 along with England and Canada, invaded 
	 France. America suffered the most 
	 casualties with 6,603 while British 
	 and Canadian casualties were barely 
	 over half that. This was a 
	 "coalition"? This was "sharing the 
	 burden"?  It's also estimated that 
	 nearly 20,000 innocent French 
	 civilians were killed by misguided 
	 Allied bombing. While some say the 
	 Normandy invasion turned the tide of 
	 the war, it does not change one simple 
	 fact: that France had never murdered 
	 a single American citizen.

EXT. NEW YORK CITY - DAY

War protestors march the streets with signs that read "No 
blood for cheese".

		     MOORE (V.O.)
	 Why were our efforts being diverted 
	 to France? It was Japan, after all, 
	 that had attacked us on December 
	 7th. Just because there were some 
	 Germans there? Germans who were also 
	 not involved in the attacks of 
	 December 7th? The President declared 
	 his goal was to liberate France, but 
	 Roosevelt, a well-known cheese 
	 aficionado, must have also been 
	 tempted to get his hands on the 
	 country's chief export.