Do you know what Scientology is? Most people have recognized instances of the word but have no knowledge of its meaning. Its founder, Mr. L. Ron Hubbard, defines it as “the study of knowing how to know” (Going Clear: …). Seventy percent of Americans do not believe Scientology is a religion, and eighteen percent either don’t know or don’t care, according to a poll taken by 60 Minutes (Groh). In 2015, Oscar-winning director and narrator Alex Gibney made Going Clear, a documentary based on journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winner Lawrence Wright’s book with the same title. Wright’s book was published in 2013 and was a National Book Award finalist. The TV-MA film is the first time HBO has addressed Scientology directly implementing archive footage,
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In the first, past Scientologists tell of how they joined the church. The second is composed of the history of Scientology and its founder. In the final part, the film depicts claims of the abusing of church members and wrongdoings of its leadership, David Miscavige in particular, who is accused of subduing, assaulting, imprisoning, and manipulating lower-ranking members. It also reveals the roles played by celebrity members, like John Travolta and Tom Cruise, through video clips, comparing and contrasting them with accounts of former Scientologists. As further support, Gibney exploits footage of prior Scientologists being persecuted and monitored, following Hubbard’s statement that critics of the church are criminals who need to be exposed (Going Clear: …). He also describes the imprisonment of church executives in an awful facility known as “the Hole” (Going Clear: …). The chief aim of the documentary is to make the public aware of these cruel harassments and unusual practices within the …show more content…
Much screen time is dedicated to the church’s 1990’s battle against the Internal Revenue Service to keep its status of tax-exempt, a victory that declared the Church of Scientology free of a $1 billion tax debt and offered generous protection from persecution accounted for in the religious freedoms clause of the First Amendment (Going Clear: …). These statistics demonstrate as well as emphasize points made by providing evidence to support them. They’re designed to shock the reader and make the argument more powerful, because the viewer can’t argue with facts. Statistics also bring a sense of authority that lead the observer to accept them without
In the first, past Scientologists tell of how they joined the church. The second is composed of the history of Scientology and its founder. In the final part, the film depicts claims of the abusing of church members and wrongdoings of its leadership, David Miscavige in particular, who is accused of subduing, assaulting, imprisoning, and manipulating lower-ranking members. It also reveals the roles played by celebrity members, like John Travolta and Tom Cruise, through video clips, comparing and contrasting them with accounts of former Scientologists. As further support, Gibney exploits footage of prior Scientologists being persecuted and monitored, following Hubbard’s statement that critics of the church are criminals who need to be exposed (Going Clear: …). He also describes the imprisonment of church executives in an awful facility known as “the Hole” (Going Clear: …). The chief aim of the documentary is to make the public aware of these cruel harassments and unusual practices within the …show more content…
Much screen time is dedicated to the church’s 1990’s battle against the Internal Revenue Service to keep its status of tax-exempt, a victory that declared the Church of Scientology free of a $1 billion tax debt and offered generous protection from persecution accounted for in the religious freedoms clause of the First Amendment (Going Clear: …). These statistics demonstrate as well as emphasize points made by providing evidence to support them. They’re designed to shock the reader and make the argument more powerful, because the viewer can’t argue with facts. Statistics also bring a sense of authority that lead the observer to accept them without