Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

That was an excellent one.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

This appeared on the Sky Arts channel which is kinda odd for this documentary to air but anyhow, it was very informative even though it was long. It really got into the detail of this Hubbard guy who was a Sci-Fi writer and pretty much he set up the Scientology religion in order to avoid to pay his taxes. He was really clever but yet a crook who just managed to find a way to brainwash people including the tax people and worship him as the big guy of the pack.This is my first time seeing Tom Cruise and John Travolta in the Scientology events that take place in some big Los Angeles gala. Actually, its the first time I've ever seen them both talk among the other followers about their religion. Now this made me wonder, where were the other celebrity Scientology followers such as Kirstie Alley, Kelly Preston, Nancy Cartwright and among many others? Why did Tom Cruise and John Travolta have to deny to give an interview for this documentary? What are they hiding here with regards to Scientology?Really good documentary about how Scientology works and its members, 8/10 it deserves!

An incredibly captivating, thoroughly entertaining & downright unnerving documentary that deconstructs the inner-working of the Church of Scientology, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief is an in-depth look at its history, its rise from a cult organisation to new religious movement, its belief system, the role of celebrities who are part of it, and its long- standing allegations of psychological abuse & exploitation that occur within the church.Using archive footages & interviews from former Scientologists who describe their very own experiences when they were part of it, the story of Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief is told in three segments. The first part follows these ex-members as they recount how they came across it. The second gives a brief overview of Scientology and also skims through the life of its founder, L. Ron Hubbard. And the final act brings forth the dark stuff & ruthless measures the church takes to silence any criticism.Written & directed by Alex Gibney, Going Clear is riveting from the first frame to the last and only gets more unsettling as the plot progresses. While it inclines more towards uncovering the disturbing secrets of this new religion that still remains shrouded in mystery, it also says a lot about the absurdity & dangers of blind faith, as evident in every religion, and illustrates how people are manipulated into joining these belief systems that promises a solution to all their problems but soon begins to strangle them with its entrapments.Although what it offers is clearly a one-sided perspective, it looks as if it's got enough data to support its claims against the Church of Scientology. Almost every argument it puts forth feels like a result of endless research & extensive investigation and the various accusations made by its interviewees, comprising mostly of former members of the church, gives those existing rumours an added weight. While it certainly sheds more light on things that usually don't get to see the light of day, much of it can still be applied to every religion in existence.However, what makes Going Clear such an intriguing sit isn't the content it has in store but how all of it is presented to the unsuspecting & curious audience. It's informative, in a way, to people who aren't much familiar with this new religious movement but it's also one damn good entertainment, something only few documentaries ever manage to excel at. The story also addresses the roles famous celebrities like John Travolta & Tom Cruise have played in promoting the religion and the special treatment the church bestows them with in order to keep them around.From a technical standpoint, there isn't really anything to complain about this documentary. It's crafted with a razor-sharp intent, seems to have done all the background check before making its accusations, the re-enactment sequences may seem a bit exaggerated but then, it is as per the ex-members' confessions, more or less. Its three segment narrative gives it a more refined & easy-to-follow structure, Editing is definitely one of its biggest strengths and the interviews with these former Scientologists is wholly engrossing. And much of it is made possible by Gibney's impeccable direction.On an overall scale, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief is a masterly crafted, cleverly assembled & expertly told exposé of one of the most controversial subject matters in the present world. As revelatory as it is enthralling, this picture has the charged intensity of a thriller and considering the Church of Scientology's notoriety for filing lawsuits against its critics, it's truly a bold piece of documentary filmmaking that does exactly what it set out to do plus the blatant criticism it received from the church prior to its release only helped in providing it the publicity it required. A powerful, discomforting & spellbinding work of non- fiction cinema, Going Clear comes strongly recommended.

Documentarian Alex Gibney produces a devastating investigative report on Scientology based on Lawrence Wright's book. First he lays out L. Ron Hubbard and his questionable past. It's a recitation of his poor war record, his bad marriage, his sci-fi stories and his propensity for fiction in his own life. The movie puts the creation of the religion down to a tax dodge.For the most of the movie, I find the religion being described as a money grab, soft cult. There is true ugliness in the world and this seems to be more of a middling evil. The story that Sylvia 'Spanky' Taylor tells about her child is heart-wrenching but most of the first 2/3 of the movie is reminiscent of a pyramid scheme. In fact, I thought the movie over-stepped by implying that John Travolta stayed because of the records they keep on the members. The movie has nothing to back up that claim and implying it is almost as bad as the Travolta gay rumors running on the supermarket rags.The last 30 minutes is where the true ugliness is recounted. Scientology leader David Miscavige is essentially a paranoid dictator of a vast monetary kingdom. The imprisonment and torture techniques are fascinating. It's rich material to base another movie on. This is an eye-opening look inside some closed doors.

This is exactly the kind of thing we need to expose the corruption in cult religions. I've been hearing about the corruption and felony crimes being committed inside the Church of Scientology for over thirty years, and the things seen in this video are no surprise to me at all.The sick twisted destruction of human character, the scaring of its members into submission, the deep-rooted evil coercion tactics and manipulation of people who leave and outside entities, and down right torture of human beings is indicative of the Church of Satan. People who join the Church of Scientology have no idea what they are getting too.With the Church of Scientology's real estate assets approaching multiple Billions of dollars, I have one question... What does that have to do with church? The fact is the Billions in assets is a fortress of protection against anyone EVER bringing the Church of Scientology down. I hope the government removes their tax exempt status, I hope the former members of the Church of Scientology sue them for billions, and I hope this video shoots up to number one and people all over the world see it, and I hope some congressman will have the GUTS to take the necessary steps to shut these people down! Side note to the filmmakers: Great job! Could you please try to do a documentary like this on the Catholic Church? Thank you.