CrawlerChunky
In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
WillSushyMedia
This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.
Marva
It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,
GypsyKing878
There's not much more to say honestly. Winner of 3 primetime Emmy awards, '' Going Clear '' destroys all of Scientology's lies in one riveting swoop. The whole documentary is really well made and painfully interesting. Good on them for speaking out against this sordid cult.
rabbitmoon
I haven't seen a documentary that crosses so many levels as this one - brainwashing, capitalism, religion, IRS wranglings, celebrity, psychopathy, abuse, deception and conspiracy - its all here in abundance. You can barely process the magnitude and implications of a moment when its taking into another equally as disturbing but about another angle entirely. I'm so glad that HBO and all involved had the balls and legal representation to produce this - and that Miscavige et al couldn't do a thing about it. The disturbing underlying implication is just how exploitable the human mind is. Once someone enters into a narrow tunnel of awareness, the installed belief systems can be engineered precisely to protect themselves - shutting out all interference and counter- evidence. That people like John Travolta ignore entirely the negative/thought-supressive aspects of Scientology in favor of their petty positives shows just how obtuse they are. The intrinsic need for power and status (Hubbard, Cruise, Miscavige) that some people have borders on psychotic in how it manifests.
Philippe Boulas
Going Clear, directed by Alex Gibney, is a documentary about Scientology, revealing what is unknown to most of us. Xenu, the dictator of the "Galactic Confederacy" 75 million years ago brought people to Earth, as a prison, stacked them in volcanoes, then killed them with hydrogen bombs. Scientology's scriptures show that thetas (immortal spirits) of these aliens are within us, humans, causing spiritual harm. This is the foundation of Scientology, that most people find it crazy that people would believe in this so called "religion". Throughout this documentary, Alex Gibney uses factual evidence and personal memories from ex-scientologist to discover what makes Scientology so different from any other religion. This documentary starts off with the fundamentals and history of Scientology. It was founded by an American author L Ron Hubbard with the release of Dianetics. This was an explanation to auditing, where a counselor would get rid of your negative emotions associated with a traumatizing experience, by reliving that experience. His main teaching was that Scientology teaches us that we are immortal beings who have forgotten their true selves. Scientology drag you in, with the first test free, but start requesting money for the sessions. The more you do, the more money it will cost you. They use an e-meter, which calculates the level of thetas throughout your body, and the whole point of these sessions are to try and get rid of your thetans. The higher you progress, the more information is given to you about the secrets of Scientology, such as the secrets of Xenu. Sooner or later, people realize what Scientology really does to you. Only a few have, and have been able to escape it but there are many consequences for those actions. There is a disconnection policy, where if you know anyone who is skeptical or doubtful about this religion, you are obligated to disconnect from them. For the ex-scientologist, it has caused their whole family turning their backs on them. Most of the ones who realized what Scientology was really about, and who were able to escape have lost all their family because of this. Scientology manipulates is followers, to drown their bank accounts. They use this type of addiction mixed with consequences, policies and blackmailing to access your money. For members of the Sea Org., a branch of Scientology, they have been manipulated to give up everything they have to be apart of Scientology, and torture them and use physical abuse for their own benefit. When I started to learn about this 'religion', I thought it was a joke but as I started to read more about I realized how legitimate it was. It was only after I watched this documentary that I discovered the truth about Scientology. They didn't just tell us the information and the statistics but showed using ex-scientologist and live footage. It made you connect personally with the documentary and the life-style of people who still believe in such absurdity. Throughout this documentary, Alex Gibney exposed the truth of Scientology and the schemes that they have been pulling on everyone. It is a fantastic documentary that does not just regurgitate the information given to them, but puts it in context to connect empathically with the viewer. It also reveals the true essence of Scientology and how they came about to be so successful. No matter what you believe in, I strongly suggest this documentary. Alex Gibney has managed to direct a documentary that is not only factual, but connects with the viewer on a deeper level. The use of emotional connections and interviews with ex-scientologist really helped demonstrate the casualties that this organization is creating, on an emotional or physical level. I would rate this 10/10 without a single doubt. This is one of the most interesting and thought provoking documentary you will ever see.
SnoopyStyle
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.
