Do you ever question your faith? Or your lack of faith? Or your core values? I do it all the time.
A few weeks ago Dave and I saw a disturbing movie. "The Master," directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It's about a guy who comes home from World War II a total mess - but then is taken in by a cult. It's an expose of the beginnings of Scientology featuring a thinly veiled account of the life of L. Ron Hubbard.
(And here I thought "South Park" had already given us the full scoop on Scientology.)
But the thing is that, throughout history cults, built around the personality of a charismatic leader, have been popping up. This was happening way B.C.
In the movie, Freddie, played by Joaquin Phoenix, has had so much pain and suffering, capped off by whatever atrocities he experienced in the war, that he's been reduced to living like an animal. He's disgusting. Then he is befriended by this charming cult leader, played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, seen here.
As I said before, this film is disturbing and disgusting. But I can't get it out of my head. One reason is that I could see some similarities in this little band of elitist people to established religions. The followers were willing to give up themselves and their money to this charming but silly con man, no questions asked. People who questioned the cause were beaten up.
In the end Freddie turned his back on the cult. But an interesting point that came to me days after seeing the movie was that, despite all the terrible mind control games and manipulating going on, he left the cult a little better person.
My take on that is that he was living totally alone in total chaos. And a little family-like structure, no matter how sick, seems to trump that.
I'm not suggesting you see this movie. Many of you would be offended by it. More of you would be bored by it. Most of you would leave the theater thinking what was that about?
As I said in the beginning, it made me, one more time, question my faith. And one more time, the answer is yes.
***
A few weeks ago Dave and I saw a disturbing movie. "The Master," directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It's about a guy who comes home from World War II a total mess - but then is taken in by a cult. It's an expose of the beginnings of Scientology featuring a thinly veiled account of the life of L. Ron Hubbard. (And here I thought "South Park" had already given us the full scoop on Scientology.)
But the thing is that, throughout history cults, built around the personality of a charismatic leader, have been popping up. This was happening way B.C.
In the movie, Freddie, played by Joaquin Phoenix, has had so much pain and suffering, capped off by whatever atrocities he experienced in the war, that he's been reduced to living like an animal. He's disgusting. Then he is befriended by this charming cult leader, played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, seen here.
As I said before, this film is disturbing and disgusting. But I can't get it out of my head. One reason is that I could see some similarities in this little band of elitist people to established religions. The followers were willing to give up themselves and their money to this charming but silly con man, no questions asked. People who questioned the cause were beaten up.
In the end Freddie turned his back on the cult. But an interesting point that came to me days after seeing the movie was that, despite all the terrible mind control games and manipulating going on, he left the cult a little better person.
My take on that is that he was living totally alone in total chaos. And a little family-like structure, no matter how sick, seems to trump that.
I'm not suggesting you see this movie. Many of you would be offended by it. More of you would be bored by it. Most of you would leave the theater thinking what was that about?
As I said in the beginning, it made me, one more time, question my faith. And one more time, the answer is yes.
***
