Based off Pulitzer Prize winning author Lawrence Wright’s newest
non-fiction, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood &
the Prison of Belief, Gibney’s adaptation seems determined to include
as much of the book’s content as possible, which, makes for a superbly in-depth,
re-watchable experience (not unlike his other first-rate documentaries: Enron, Mea Maxima Culpa, Taxi to the
Dark Side, Client 9, & We Steal Secrets) . That’s probably why Rolling
Stone and Huffington
Post made listicles of prominent observations contained in the film instead
of trying to summarize it outright. Fortunately, there’s still quite a bit of
information that Gibney leaves out of his documentary and viewers seeking more
in-depth information on Scientology won’t be disappointed by picking up
Wright’s book.
The titular phrase “Going Clear” stems from Scientology
argot, which expresses a state one might attain after purging the psyche of
“engrams” or deep-rooted traumatic memories from previous lives. This purification
process often takes the form of “auditing” sessions, which resemble Catholic confessions
or pseudo-psychiatric sessions with fellow members who keep detailed records of
intimate disclosures & indiscretions. Clever enough, Gibney framed most of
the interviews in the film as if each one were a private auditing session. If
any of this sounds cultishly eerie, that’s because it is and the subtitle
doesn’t flinch to point out the obvious: this is “the prison of belief”.
Really, though, Going
Clear is a provocative expose—one that has already garnered wide-spread
national media coverage (People,
The
New York Times, ABC
News, The
Guardian, IndieWire,
Variety,
Huffington
Post, Entertainment
Weekly, A.V.
Club, etc.). In part, no doubt because, there’s a smidgen of salacious celebrity
scandal in the mix. Tom Cruise is seen saluting LRH and promoting the
Scientology brand while we’re lead to believe the breakup of Nicole Kidman and
Cruise might’ve been, in part, instigated by prominent members of Scientology,
it seems that John Travolta might be the victim of blackmail by the church
since they have decades worth of extensive auditing records on him, and Paul Haggis,
writer/director of Crash speaks extensively about his
35 year-long investment and “escape” from the church.
In addition to the Hollywood celebrities, Gibney musters a
cadre of high-profile ex-Scientology members to speak directly about their
comprehensive backgrounds in the church. One of the more disturbing accounts
comes from Sarah Northrup, LRH’s second wife who testifies of LRH’s inveterate
manipulation, abuse, kidnapping, and fraud. This testimony is further
compounded by the other first-hand accounts of members who worked with LRH and
his militant successor David Miscavige.
Going Clear is at once comedic—with references to Scientologists
possessing super powers, e-meters
that can weigh the mass of thoughts, L. Ron Hubbard’s early career as a
pulp-sci-fi writer and connection with occultist Aleister Crowley to produce
the literal anti-christ—and simultaneously disturbing—allegations of physical
abuse, child neglect, blackmail, unlawful surveillance, litigious harassment, and
various other cases of criminal activity. In fact, due to Scientology members
stealing government documents in the 70s, the FBI conducted its largest raid
(at the time) on the church. The scandal, intrigue, abuse, & corruption
should compel viewers to ask, “How is this not a movie?” And they’d do well to
recall, watch, or rewatch Paul Thomas Anderson’s brilliant quasi-biopic of LRH,
The Master. At a
cursory glance, likening Going Clear
to The Battle for Citizen Kane doesn’t seem too far-fetched, at
least not compared to LRH’s creation myth of Xenu whose overpopulated home-plant,
75 million years ago, resembled 1950s America! In this case, L. Ron Hubbard
might appear akin to William Randolph Hearst.
While several
comedians rushed to mock Scientology including David Letterman, Seth
Meyers, and a few others, SNL’s spoof of the classic Scientology choir song “We Stand Tall” is
undoubtedly the best—next of course to the now classic South Park episode “Trapped
in the Closet”. In the SNL musical skit, Scientology becomes “Neurotology”
and Dianetics—L. Ron Hubbard’s
quintessential book—becomes “Diametrics”. The
Underground Bunker provides a worthy breakdown of the SNL spoof and all its
eastereggs—many of which are referenced in Going Clear. In this case, the more you know, the darker the humor seems, especially while juxtaposed with the golden-bathed upbeat choir.
And while it would’ve given the film a wholly judicious air
to see more counterpoint from people within the church of Scientology or even
some of the big players in the film—Miscavige, Cruise, Travolta, or even one of
their spokes-people, representatives, or lawyers—Going Clear still manages to come across as considerate without
being delicate toward the Church. It seems reasonable that many of the
showcased characters would refuse to comment for a film they can’t ultimately
control the bias and outcome of. Undoubtedly, however, none of that will make
much difference to the Scientologists who by now consider Gibney “Fair Game” in
their parlance and, ironically, any legal bullying to result from their
retaliation will further solidify the assertions made about Scientology in Going Clear. If ever there was a time to
take a passing interest in something like Scientology that might’ve seemed
shrouded in mystery, now’s the time to do it. Now’s the time to “go clear”.
-------------------------------------------------------------
The New York Times: Review
by Manohla Dargis
Vulture: Review
by Bilge Ebiri
RogerEbert: Review
by Brian Tallerico
Variety: Review
by Scott Foundas
Huffington Post: Review
by Liliana Greenfield-Sanders
Entertainment Weekly: Review by Melissa
Maerz
A.V. Club: Review
by Joshua Alston
L.A. Times Review
by Robert Lloyd
Rolling Stone: “10
Things We Learned From Scientology Doc ‘Going Clear’” by Eric Thrum
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