GOING CLEAR – Scientology and The Prison of Belief

“A civilization without insanity, without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights, are the aims of Scientology.” –L. Ron Hubbard

The Going Clear documentary is based on a book written by Lawrence Wright, titled Going Clear: “Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief.” Scientology objects to the book and the documentary. As recently reported (8.5.2015) by the Guardian: the church, from its Los Angeles HQ, has denounced the film as a “one-sided, bigoted propaganda built on falsehoods” and informed by former members – whom it calls “misfits”.

In April, the church said in a statement: “The Church of Scientology will be entitled to seek the protection of both UK and Irish libel laws in the event that any false or defamatory content in this film is broadcast within these jurisdictions.”

Going Clear is a well-made film. Good editing and use of archival material and interviews. There is a lot of footage of Scientology events and places. Scientology officially calls it “propaganda.” But that label is not appropriate unless it can be shown that the filmmakers are misrepresenting the truth and hiding their true point-of-view (POV). A documentary film is not propaganda simply because you don’t agree with it’s premise or reality. One definition of a propaganda film is that is was made by a government, with a political philosophy or by institutions with missions. Going Clear does not meet these criteria.

Going Clear has a point-of-view that it doesn’t try to hide. All documentaries have a point-of-view. A documentary cannot help but be a subjective exploration of human reality. The fact that you do not agree with the point-of-view of a documentary does not make the documentary propaganda. Going Clear uses first person interviews from many people expressing their experiences. Evidence supporting the filmmaker’s POV is presented and explored.

Watching the documentary Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief brought back memories of a visit I made to East Grinstead in England, where  there is a Scientology center.

My friends Pam and Henry, talented painters and pottery makers, who I met in Harrogate, Yorkshire, had moved to East Grinstead. We kept in touch and when I came back to England to study film at the London Film School, in the early 1970’s, they invited me to visit them in their new home and studio in East Grinstead, a town in the northeastern corner, West Sussex. Not that it would have mattered to me, had I known, but Saint Hill Manner, in East Grinstead, was also the home of L. Ron Hubbard and the Headquarters for Scientology in Great Britain.

Pam and Henry had become Scientologists. They gave me a tour of the facility and some literature including Hubbard’s Dianetics, and a pamphlet of Axioms. They told me that Scientology was becoming a religion and was looking for recruits to become what sounded to me like ministers or perhaps monitors. I said, I was passionate about studying film but in any event could not afford to join Scientology. They said not to worry about money that “Ron would find a way.” I asked why Scientology was becoming a religion? They said to avoid persecution and get tax-exempt status. I chose to continue to study film.

I read the Dianetics book and other literature; some of it made sense on a practical level. But I never joined Scientology nor have I ever paid the Transcendental Meditation people for a mantra. I think “self-help” is a good thing, but do not like paying someone else to help me “self-help.”

The Going Clear documentary is a pretty straightforward expose style piece that mainly goes after the management of the International Association of Scientology (IAS) and the Church of Scientology. In particular it singles out David Miscovige, a self-appointed protégé of L. Ron Hubbard (LRH) and current Chairman of the Board, as a megalomaniac and serial abuser of staff. Going Clear also questions and explores the not-for-profit, religious status of this Billion-dollar corporation.

Going Clear begins with a history of L. Ron Hubbard and how he ultimately founded Scientology based on his Dianetics Book. In addition to interviews with Sara Northrupt, Hubbards first wife, the film uses a some interviews, archival photographs, video and a few minor, apparent recreations to tell the story. The film depicts LRH has a prolific author of science fiction, much of which is incorporated into the back-story of Scientology. A number of insiders, like Paul Haggis, Jason Begle and Spanky Taylor, who have left Scientology after long association, paint a grim, behind the scenes, picture and how Miscovige consolidated his power and keeps people in line. They also discuss what amounts to a form of brainwashing they believe is practiced in Scientology.

Going Clear also looks at the auditing process which is the corner-stone of Scientology and the way one becomes “Clear.” Using a device, with two cans that one holds and that are connected to a meter, electrical impulses are monitored during what is called and “audit.” This contraption has been characterized as one-third of a lie detector machine. The person doing the monitoring asks questions and makes copious notes of each session. People who join Scientology pay to go through a long series of audits on what is called a “bridge” to becoming clear and ultimately achieving “Theata” status.

Two celebrities who are well-known Scientologists are focused on in the documentary. They are John Travolta and Tom Cruise. Neither Travolta nor Cruise was interviewed for the Going Clear documentary but there is still plenty of footage of them in the film. Travolta joined Scientology early on in his career. He seems a fairly non-controversial member. Tom Cruise’s story is different, especially during the time he was married to Nicole Kidman. The documentary makes the case that Miscovige interfered in the marriage, secretly, and later overtly, because he believed Kidman, who he labeled in Scientology speak, “a suppressive person,” was pulling Cruise away from Scientology. After Kidman and Cruise divorced, Tom Cruise was back, prominently representing Scientology as a spokesperson.

The Going Clear documentary goes beyond perceived and documented issues it finds with Scientology. By default it brings attention to the tax-exempt status of some institutions that seem more about making money than any kind of not-for-profit mission. It also may ask exactly what constitutes a religion? Is Scientology posing as a religion? Did Scientology harass the IRS into giving it Not-For-Profit, status as a religion, which also gives Scientology certain First Amendment protection. Are there other institutions in the same category? There have been other negative documentaries and book about Scientology. Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief  is hard to ignore.

HBO – 120 minutes – Directed by Alex Gibney

Review by Jim Martin, documentary filmmaker, writer, director and author.

Books by James R Martin

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