It's really long. But so is the history of Scientology. The structure of the movie is kind of complicated. It is kind of linear in time, but not quite. It deconstructs the Church, its methods and its "beliefs." It uses testimonials from former members of the Church to bolster its argument. In their last appearances on camera, the shots fade to white and it shows on the screen how long they were in the church and when they finally left. It appears that the major turning point in the Church's history was when the IRS gave in to the Church, granting it religious exemption. The film walks through the brainwashing the members go through and the ridiculous lies they are fed. These are insider accounts that we otherwise would be unaware of, all the terminology, the creation myth, and the power struggle in the upper ehcelons of the leadership. What is perhaps most astounding is how the members have avoided the internet in the twenty-first century. It is one thing to not know all of the criticisms of the Church before the internet age, but how could they be so sheltered now? The Church's power is its control over its members. This film demystifies the mystery surrounding the secretive Church for the rest of us.
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