LOUIS THEROUX: MY SCIENTOLOGY MOVIE

UK, 2015, 99 minutes, Colour.
Louis Theroux, Marty Rathbun, Tom de Vocht, Marc Headley, Andrew Perez
Directed by John Dower.

Scientology is a church of contradictions. Established in the 1950s by L. Ron Hubbard, with his navy background, science-fiction writings, writing on Dianetics, his creation of an organisation of self-awareness, knowledge, world and cosmic view, his speculations about existences, Thetans and his elaborate structure of the church and its steps and stages, seem to be the matter for science-fiction material but with his leadership, despite a lot of legal cases, especially about finances and the status of the organisation, the church, under the leadership of David Miscavige for almost 30 years, has flourished and drawn many thousands of people, especially in the United States and especially wealthy members and high profile film stars, with Tom Cruise as the best-known.

Alex Gibney made a very insightful film about Scientology: Getting Clear. It would be very helpful to have seen this film before looking at My Scientology Movie.

Louis Theroux has a great reputation for television programs, travelling to different parts of the world, often exotic parts, discovering unusual situations, unusual characters, and offering interpretations of these different worlds and interviewing the characters.

With BBC backing, he goes with a cameraman and director, John Dower, to Los Angeles to make his own Scientology movie. Because he has little encouragement, or none, from the church itself, he decides to go it alone, finding that he receives several letters from the legal advisors of Scientology, is followed by car on several occasions and while he himself is filming for his documentary, Scientology has hired a cameraman to film him and some sent some of the high profile members to move him on, especially a very dominating Katherine Fraser. Scientology also blocks some of the roads, claiming that they own the roads and the property and that the camera crew is trespassing.

This film does show several public domain scenes of Scientology rallies, especially with its leader David Miscavige and with the star member, Tom Cruise. Theroux decides that he will recreate some scenes, using the public footage dialogue for the actors to interpret, the cinema audience hearing the same words repeated in a variety of ways during auditions, Miscavige and his domination, Cruise and his loyalty as well his self-assertion.

Theroux contacts Marty Rathbun, who was with Scientology for several decades, acting as their enforcer. Rathbun assists with the film, though is put out with some of Theroux’s comments at the end, but supervises a lot of the re-creation of sequences, especially the one-on-one self-assertion training as well as the domination and brutality in The Hole. There are several interviews with other disillusioned ex-members, including Katherine Fraser’s husband.

At the end, in a studio, the actors chosen for interpretation do their stuff, leaving the audience in little doubt about the style, philosophy, secrecy of the Church of Scientology. Despite the enthusiastic membership at various rallies and dinners, Scientology mainly defies belief.

1. Audience knowledge of and attitude towards Scientology? In favour? Not in favour?

2. Audience knowledge of David Miscavige, of high profile Scientologists like Tom Cruise?

3. Scientology itself, the founder L. Ron Hubbard, his background, science fiction, Dianetics, creating Scientology, as a system, technology, worldview, cosmic view, a church, finance?

4. Previous films and exposes of Scientology?

5. Louis Theroux, his background, television, journalism, his touring the world, opening up issues, interviews? his personal involvement?

6. The decision to do a film on Scientology? His director, cameraman? Going to Los Angeles? Going to Hollywood, the Scientology building? The atmosphere of Los Angeles, the streets, buildings, homes, the studio? The roads and the ownership of the Scientologists? The musical score?

7. Louis Theroux, his personality, the touch of the deadpan, his long pauses and looking at his interviewees, thinking through his perspective? His decisions about people, interviews, takes?

8. The title, his decision to do a film on Scientology? Lack of cooperation from the church? Lawyers and their letters? His being followed, being filmed? The officials, warning him off, harassment, his going on the roads and being accused of trespassing, the role of the police? Scientology members ‘ harassment at the airport?

9. His decision to recreate scenes? Showing David Miscavige and the various rallies, the role of Tom Cruise, interviews with Tom Cruise?

10. The range of auditions, using the words of Miscavige and Cruise, interpretations by the various actors? The impact of the words on the film audience, hearing them so often and in different ways? Choice for the man to be Miscavige? For Tom Cruise? The other actors, their scenes – especially in the one-to-one tutorials on assertion? For the scenes in The Hole? Theroux himself participating?

11. His contact with Marty Rathbun? Rathbun’s reputation, his career with Scientology, enforcer, his use of dirty tricks? Disillusionment? Leaving Scientology? Scientologists and their criticisms of him? His role in the film, talking with the Theroux, accompanying him on various situations, supervising the scenes, the auditions, especially The Hole? His feeling insulted by Louis Theroux, the apology?

12. The contact with the other former Scientologists, their experience, Katherine Fraser’s husband, seeing her in her confrontations with Theroux, explanations, Miscavige and his brutality? The credibility of these witnesses?

13. The recreation of the scenes, audience insight into Miscavige? Especially his brutality with The Hole? Insights into Tom Cruise? His manner, domination, assertion?

14. The assertion training, shouting people down, reaching a level of self-identification? Seeing this in action with those confronting Theroux?

15. The impact of the dramatic reconstructions, Marty Rathbun and his supervision?

16. The completion of film, editing it, Louis Theroux documentary, commentary, personal involvement?