“The highest one can attain to truth is to attain his own illusions” – L . Ron Hubbard.
Louis takes on Scientology in My Scientology Movie.
The church of Scientology is an onerous subject to make a documentary on. Not only is there a vast amount of films covering similar ground, but the church has gained a reputation of being notoriously difficult for a journalist to get near, let alone get inside. Most filmmakers documenting Scientology would count themselves lucky to even talk to a person that’s set foot on the church’s property.
For a number of reasons, when I heard Louis Theroux was going to focus the subject of his next documentary on Scientology, I felt this would change.
I mean this is Louis Theroux we’re talking about. ‘Exposer’ of the Nazis and the Westboro Baptist Church! Surely Scientology would be no match?
As it turned out, the church would be a whole different kettle of (weirdo extremist) fish.
The church of Scientology is based upon a body of beliefs created by American Sci-fi author L . Ron Hubbard. Their religious system is based around self awareness and offered in periodic advances, usually for a price. An example of the Church’s operations would be a practice known as ‘dianetic auditing’, which involves counselling using a device known as an ‘E-meter’, which has questionable legitimacy amongst scientists and is used frequently in UFO literacy. Louis tries out many of these scientology “gimmicks” for himself.
The premise of the film revolves around Theroux arriving in L.A. and holding open auditions to cast actors to play key members of Scientology in the movie, the next best option if he can’t meet the real-life leaders of the church. These actors were advised by the film’s main witness and source of information, Marty Rathbun, former Inspector General of Scientology.
It is through Rathbun’s guidance and experience that the scenes are set up, using the actors in a Hollywood studio to give viewers an alternative inside view on how the church ran, as well as the dynamic and atmosphere between its members.
Among the church members played in the mock-up Scientology scenarios were CEO and leader, David Miscavige as well as actor and infamous scientologist, Tom Cruise. It would seem that individuals were played in a very deliberate manner, under Rathbun’s direction. In particular, Miscavige was portrayed brilliantly as a ruthless maniac by actor Andrew Perez, an incredible discovery by Louis in the casting process. Miscavige’s reputation as the eminent Scientology leader could not have been made more evident through Perez’s performance.
For me, the major flaw with “My Scientology Movie” derives from the entirety of its “exposing information” sourced only from one man, Marty Rathbun. A man Scientology regards as a “disgraced liar”. The validity of this man gets called further into question when even Louis fails to extract any information from him about his rumoured behaviour at the church, despite using his entire Theroux-arsenal of subtle questioning, boyish charm and long, absurd silences. This paired with the lack of substance, is how the film deflects into, or maybe even relies on becoming a sort of off-beat comedy.
The irony of the closed-off nature of the church of Scientology is that its desperation to try and shut down any documentation on the church, then becomes the greatest and most reliable form of information about the realities and on-goings within the institution. It is obvious this was clear to Theroux from the get-go, as the documentary essentially incorporates the making of a counter-documentary by the church of Scientology, in an almost paradoxical twist.
An important scene in the documentary stems directly from this. It is painfully obvious the exact moment when Louis went for broke, with a final attempt at obtaining his sole piece of insightful substance. The scene takes place exactly after Rathbun has been verbally menaced by current followers of the church, and is clearly distressed. Theroux picks this precise moment to go all in with his accusations of Rathbun, using Marty’s same techniques from when he was Inspector General at the church.
This is an uncharacteristically abrasive approach by Theroux, and shows his clear frustration and impatience with his lack of progress and break down of Scientology. The film breaks down from this point and ends leaving Theroux’s biggest questions still unanswered.
Verdict:
An uncharacteristic documentary that often feels like an offbeat comedy; it is thoroughly enjoyable and filled with Therouxisms, yet fails to fully answer Louis’ -and the audience’s- numerous questions.
Jack Butler
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