Going Clear (Alex Gibney)

[number8]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4d/Going_Clear_Poster.jpg

[number8]

So I've read a lot about scientology in the past decade or so, and this doc really doesn't give you a lot of new information. What it does, though, I what docs do best, which is take a fact or an idea and present it visually to heighten the impact. I've read about how kooky their meetings are, but watching footage of the celebration, watching Isaac Hayes madly clapping at Miscavige's speeches and Tom Cruise saluting a painting of LRH.... It's really jaw dropping. I've also read about the various intimidation tactics and harassments, but seeing camera footage and re-enactments of it are something else.

My biggest takeaway, though, is that the doc makes it really hard to just see Tom Cruise's scientology as some weirdo sci-fi personal belief we can swipe aside, considering the allegations in the doc. The whole thing about the church taking Nicole Kidman away from him, pimping a college girl to him, and him verbally abusing her... That's just maddening.

[Pop Trash]

So I've read a lot about scientology in the past decade or so, and this doc really doesn't give you a lot of new information. What it does, though, I what docs do best, which is take a fact or an idea and present it visually to heighten the impact.


I agree. There's been a lot of debate lately (prompted by Mike D'Angelo and Scott Tobias' criticisms of documentaries - agitprop docos in particular) about whether these things need to exist, especially when there is apparently a great non-fiction book out there already, but this demonstrates you can give out visual information that just doesn't do the job in written form. Especially Scientology which is such a Hollywood sound & image driven "religion." I also think on-camera interviews can deliver body and verbal language effectively. Paul Haggis seems like an intelligent guy, but some of these interviewees don't seem like brightest bulbs around. I still felt sorry for them since they so clearly wanted to belong to something meaningful and feel loved/wanted and Scientology just scammed them like crazy.