Directed by: Alex Gibney
The Church of Scientology was originally founded in the 1950's by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. His wife quoted him as saying, "I'd like to start a religion because the government doesn't tax you and take your money". It wouldn't be until 1993 that the IRS recognized Scientology as a religion and waived off $1 billion dollars in previous tax liability. Church leader David Miscavige celebrated this with a rally in the Los Angeles Sports Arena, which was at the time the largest gathering of Scientologists in history. He proclaimed "the war is over" as balloons and confetti fell. I have not seen a religion so blatantly discuss its finances with its members before, but Alex Gibney's documentary shows Scientology as a money-driven, power-mad, and dangerous group. We gain a thorough understanding of what drives the church and its members to the extreme measures depicted by former leaders and members.
Hubbard is depicted as a founder of a religion gone haywire. What started out as a small religion that promised inner peace through self-reflection and "audits" (a method of extracting confessions from members under the guise of helping them heal their psyches) turned into a multi-billion dollar conglomerate with celebrities like Tom Cruise and John Travolta as its public faces. John Travolta explains in a circa 90's interview that Scientology promoted inner joy and peace. Who wouldn't want that? Former members, such as writer/director Paul Haggis, had similar illusions that were crushed over time. He left the church very publicly in 2009 and is one of the most absorbing interviewees for this film.
Gibney also interviewed former church leaders who testify in great detail about the church's tactics, especially when dealing with its critics and enemies. Miscavige is characterized as a ruthless tyrant who stops at nothing to discredit and ruin the church's perceived enemies. Miscavige doesn't just punish critics. Members of his church are also alleged to be verbally and physically abused. Why? The sources say Miscavige, like his mentor L. Ron Hubbard, is paranoid about losing any power he has in the church. He wants to maintain full authority, especially at the expense of others. Short in size, he addresses his followers like a modern day Napoleon. The stage decorations at Scientology functions are likened to "Nazi rally" set designs. Watching the rallies in action, it is hard to dispute the comparison.
According to the witnesses, Scientologists use confessions brought out in audits to blackmail members into staying with the church. Lost members equals lost revenue. The film suggests that rumors of John Travolta's sexuality and his audit recordings are not mutually exclusive. Does the church keep one of its most famous members at bay by blackmailing him? The church is not above doing that, according to the witnesses. Nor is it above intimidation, lawsuits, bullying, and other tactics to discredit and harm its enemies.
The church's relationship with Tom Cruise is also intriguing. Cruise joined the church in the late 1980s and drifted away in the 1990s while he was married to Nicole Kidman, a non-member whose father was a renowned psychologist (a profession frowned upon by the church). Many cases were documented in which members had to "disconnect" from family members who were homosexual or held professions that were considered detrimental to the church's teachings. It is suggested that Cruise's divorce was orchestrated by the church in order to bring him back to the fold and his future relationships were also orchestrated by the church. It seems Cruise remains a member because Miscavige keeps him happy by fulfilling his every need.
L. Ron Hubbard was a sad case of a man who behaved erratically and was in need of psychological help. He even recognized that need himself when he wasn't on the run from the IRS and the federal government. He was in hiding from the late 1970s until his death in 1986. Gibney shows Hubbard in rare interviews which showed him straddling the line between charisma and madness. His religion was simply a tool for him to exercise his pathological tyranny. What is more frightening than Hubbard as a church leader (and Miscavige for that matter) is that so many were and are willing to follow them.
No comments:
Post a Comment