GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE PRISON OF BELIEF

US, 2015, 119 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Alex Gibney.

How much do we know about Scientology? Is it a religion? Is it a church? What does it have to do with personality and psychology? What about L.Ron Hubbard and his science-fiction writings? What about Tom Cruise and his promotion of Scientology? John Travolta and other celebrities? And have we ever heard of David Miscavige?

There is a limit to what can be offered as answers to these questions in 120 minutes of a documentary film. However, there are quite a lot of answers, and quite a few leads.

The film is based on an investigation by Lawrence Wright, and his book which is an expose of Scientology. Wright appears as one of the major talking heads in this film. And there are a lot of talking heads, especially from officials of Scientology who have left and are critical as they look at themselves and their experience in Scientology.

One great recommendation is that this is a documentary by Alex Gibney, who has become more and more prolific in recent years. He made the film, Enron, the Smartest Guys in the Room, as well as winning an Oscar for his film about prisons in Afghanistan, Taxi to the Darkside. His powerful investigation into cases of clerical sexual abuse in the United States was Silence in the House of God. And, more recently, he made an exposé of Lance Armstrong.

The film builds up something of the history of Scientology, the career of Hubbard (who falsified some aspects of his war service, glorifying it, as well as his history of ill health). We hear of his science-fiction writings in the late 1940s and, further, his development of the mythology which says that 75 million years ago, there was a planet with similar characteristics to those of Eearth in the US in the 1950s, but many of the Thetans were sent to earth, in a volcano, and Scientologists have to rid themselves of their presence. Odd stuff!

Hubbard had difficulty with the American authorities, especially concerning tax, and kept out of the limelight. But he also had a fascination for celebrities and built headquarters in Los Angeles and buildings in Florida. He is hailed as a great hero – with a sequence on the anniversary of his birthday with crowds assembled and Tom Cruise giving him salute and birthday greetings.

The most interesting interviews are those with the officials who worked with Hubbard and with his successor, the quite charismatic David Miscavige, who is still the leader. Senior officials, who spied on others, followed them, reported, left the organisation after quite a number of years. These include both women and men. While there are no interviews for the film from Tom Cruise or John Travolta, there is quite a lot of public footage inserted, Travolta and his testimonies over the decades, Cruise and his enthusiasm. Not so enthusiastic is the Oscar-winning writer-director Paul Haggis who spent 30 years in Scientology but became disillusioned with the condemnation of his daughters when they came out as gay. It made him re-examine his whole life, his beliefs and activities, which led to some disillusionment.

There was quite some controversy about the IRS and the demands made on Scientology and the attempts to have it declared as a religion and tax exempt – which did happen with some deals in the 1990s.

Some Scientologists have declared the film a hatchet job, and in many ways it is. But it offers substantial backing to the claims against Scientology in the film never less than interesting.

1. Audience interest in Scientology? Knowledge of Scientology? As a psychological movement? Diabetics? As a church? Pros and cons?

2. The director, his long career, his targets for his documentaries, his evidence, interviews, visual footage? Building up a case based on evidence?

3. His method, audience response? To L. Ron Hubbard and his career, background, the war experience, lies about his active service, his disasters in sinking things, lies about his health? Writing science-fiction, pulp fiction? His wife, leaving her? Later marriage? Writing Dianetics, its extraordinary success, best-seller? The various interviews with Hubbard, the footage of him?

4. Establishing Scientology, the Church of Scientology? Dianetics and the range of people that it attracted, their motives? Finance? His disregard of taxes, the pursuit by the government? His fleeing, anonymity? The return to Florida, setting up buildings and organisations? His remaining hidden? David Miscavige as one of his young officials? Virtually anointing him as successor?

5. The issue of Hubbard and his science-fiction, the mythology, 75 million years earlier, just like the United States the 1950s, cars and clothes, the Thetans, from an earlier world, coming down to earth, the volcanoes, possessing humans? Their having to be extricated? Hubbard and his science-fiction writings, his mythical imagination?

6. The key witnesses about Scientology? Mike, Marty, Tom, the different women and their experiences? The talking heads, at the interviews? The Sea Organisation? The various testimonies, based on their long experience in Scientology, the significant roles, their activities for Hubbard and for Miscavige? The personalities, the authenticity of their witness, the change, critique? The importance of disillusionment? The reasons for giving witness? Their blogs, the interviews?

7. The role of Lawrence Wright, the author of the exposé, his importance, his skills, as a talking head? His interviews? The director relying on his integrity and his ability to ask the questions about Scientology?

8. Hubbard and his liking for Hollywood, the buildings and headquarters, attracting the celebrities? The influence of the celebrities and promoting Scientology? the role of John Travolta, at various stages during his career, the excerpts of Travolta giving interviews, praising Scientology? The hold Scientology had over him – the issues of his personal life, sexual orientation, secrecy? Jason Begge and the interviews, frank, four-letter language, his criticisms of himself, his beliefs, getting out, the consequences for his self-image, his career, after Scientology? The importance of Paul Haggis and his 30 years in Scientology, the biographical information, as a young man, attracted in, remaining, reading, believing? The issue of his gay daughters? The condemnation by Scientology? His questioning, disillusionment, leaving?

9. The importance of Tom Cruise, throughout his life, his career? The sequences of interviews, Hubbard’s birthday and the celebration, the salutes, his receiving the medal? The hold of Scientology, his friendship with David Miscavige, Miscavige sharing so much with Tom Cruise? His credibility?

10. David Miscavige, as a young man, presentable and appearance, loyal to Hubbard, promoted, taking charge, the issues of 1993 and the demonstration, the fascist overtones? His taking charge, the issue of taxation office, the investigations, the threats of exposés for the cases, their being dropped, the sense of triumph? Miscavige and his own life, the long role of leading Scientology, his becoming older, his criticisms of opponents, his friendship with Tom Cruise and sharing everything with him, even the motorbikes?

11. The film illustrating the beliefs of Scientology, the various stages, listing them, categories, moving to enlightenment? The role of the Thetans and their having to be got out, Tom Cruise spending the money on them? The self-image of Scientology, the good over the bad? The rallies? The number of members, American society, presence at banquets and celebrations, acclaim?

12. The critiques, the television interviews, the wives of those who had left Scientology and their uniform patter, upholding their loyalty, the critique of their husbands?

13. The women who belonged, their experience, the Sea Organisation, Sal and her loyalty, her son and his belonging, his being criticised, ousted, her disillusionment and wanting to make her own decisions about her son? The critique of the leaders’ control?

14. The language and terminology, about control, about suspicious persons, about disconnection – and seeing the discussions and in action?

15. David Miscavige, segregating the leaders, the kind of boot camp, the treatment, the physical brutality, their motivation, their loyalty and the need to stay in favour?

16. A cult, the brainwashing?

17. Those in good faith who belonged, their motivation?

18. The issue whether it was a church or not, tax issues, a religion?

19. The influence of this film in informing the public about the history of Scientology, its philosophy, Hubbard and Miscavige and their leadership, the celebrity members, those who left Scientology and their testimonies against it?