Sundance Review: Alex Gibney's 'Going Clear' is a Shocking Overview of Scientology's Demented Leadership

Sun Jan 25 21:50:55 EST 2015

Gibney shocks with his latest.

"Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief"

From "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" to the Catholic church expos "Mea Maxima Culpa," Alex Gibney's documentaries often adopt a straightforward approach to exposing institutional dysfunction. "Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief" falls into that tradition. The director's bracing adaptation of Lawrence Wright's 2013 book on the religion's bizarre history is fairly routine in terms of its allegations. But with such outlandish material, that's more than enough.

READ MORE:Alex Gibney Premieres His Scathing Expos on the Church of Scientology

By now, there's nothing entirely fresh about the story of L. Run Hubbard's construction of a cult based around far-fetched science fiction conceits and the devious antics that ensued from it many of which were perpetrated by Hubbard's tyrannical predecessor, the elusive David Miscavige. Nevertheless, taking cues from gripping testimonies provided by several high profile former members of the group including top-level executives and an eloquent Paul Haggis "Going Clear" delivers an efficient overview of Scientology's dark history with a cohesive focus on the precision of its corrupt motives.

The first half of "Going Clear" plays as a kind of non-fiction alternative to "The Master," sketching out the history of Hubbard's interest in crafting a religion based around his influential book "Dianetics." Hubbard himself appears in revealing archival footage at the height of his influence, discussing his murky philosophies associated with obtaining harmony through personal recollection.

Gibney contrasts his strange assertions with backstory from Wright as well as former Scientologists who witnessed Hubbard's nonsensical lectures years ago. As usual, the filmmaker also peppers his narrative with a healthy amount of archival material, including diary entries by Hubbard ex-wife Sarah Northup as she asserts her husband's desire to "create a religion for success."

Moving through the decades, "Going Clear" shows the precision of Hubbard's brainwashing abilities even as he faces scrutiny from the media. Gibney's subjects explain the dubious E-meter process ("two-thirds of a lie detector test"), the device that leads Scientologists to believe they can expunge their internal conflicts through a meticulous form of verbal repetition.

Though the movie eventually comes around to explaining the ludicrous conceit behind this practice Hubbard's assertion that human beings are infected by alien souls the movie's meticulous explanation for the test's seeming effectiveness ensures that "Going Clear" sticks to an empirical approach. With a measured journalistic prowess on par with his source material, Gibney takes nothing for granted.

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Sundance Review: Alex Gibney's 'Going Clear' is a Shocking Overview of Scientology's Demented Leadership