Alex Gibney’s typically engaging and increasingly alarming history/exposé of Scientology (from Pulitzer prize-winning Lawrence Wright’s book) hears from those who have embraced and then escaped the teachings of L Ron Hubbard and his cult disciples. From Sylvia “Spanky” Taylor, who worked closely with celebrity Scientology flag-waver John Travolta, to Oscar winning film-maker Paul Haggis, who only slowly became aware of the barefaced lies and WTF-mumbo-jumbo he was living with, Going Clear presents an insider’s view of post-Thetan existence.
Anyone who has seen The Master will reel with recognition at the archive footage of L Ron (Philip Seymour Hoffman had Hubbard to a T), but the real villain of Gibney’s piece is current chairman of the board David Miscavige, of whom this documentary paints an extremely sinister portrait. A succession of legal disclaimers acknowledge Scientology’s rebuttal of Gibney’s findings (the US premiere on HBO drew more than 5.5 million viewers, but threats of litigation have hampered UK screenings), yet the organisation’s battles with the IRS over tax-exemption cut to the real heart of the matter. Most revealing is the suggestion that the quasi-confessional “auditing” process has provided Scientology with enough personal information to prevent any of its most high-profile supporters from jumping ship. Meanwhile, that infamous promo-video of Tom Cruise laughing about whether he’s ever met an “SP” (“suppressive person”) still makes him look like the maddest man on this planet – or indeed any planet. Chilling, damning stuff.
