Breaking Free from Prison

There's been a lot of talk lately about the HBO documentary Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief. Having picked up HBO again for the new season of Game of Thrones (and Veep, and Silicon Valley), I was able to see what the fuss was all about.

Taking inspiration from an earlier book (of the same title) by Lawrence Wright, Going Clear examines how Scientology came to be, explores its actual practices and beliefs, delves into its scandals, and interviews a number of former members. To the degree the film seems to be expressing a message, that message seems to be: "how did these guys get tax exempt status as a church?" To the degree people have been commenting on the film, the commentary seems mostly to be: "I'm astounded at the crazy crap Scientologists believe." Going Clear is certainly a well-made documentary. But on both those counts, I was hardly surprised.

It's worth noting that this film was made by Alex Gibney, the same man behind the documentary Mea Maxima Culpa, which examined the child abuse scandal in the Catholic church, and the institutional protection of the abusers. Arrange the two documentaries mentally, side by side, and you get my take on Scientology: why are people surprised by any of this? Yes, Scientologists believe some batshit crazy stuff. So do other religions. Yes, it's offensive that Scientologists are able to exempt themselves from paying taxes and use their money like a corporation to fuel their own expansion. Same for other religions. Yes, Scientology seems to be a transparent means of aggrandizement for a few power-hungry individuals. Same for other religions.

"How is Scientology a religion?" many people ask. How is it not a religion?

Since Going Clear so astutely puts this on display, I was definitely bound to like it. It's a more focused film than Mea Maxima Culpa, which often let (justifiable) rage dull its razor. I was already aware of the origin myths of Scientology, so the movie wasn't particularly informative for me on that count. Still, if it's a vehicle for people to think critically about one religion, it's doing good. Some of those people might then go on to think critically about all religion.

I give Going Clear a B+. It's an insightful, and not unnecessarily cruel or flippant, take down of a Scientology. It's a magnifying glass and, perhaps, a mirror.