Cults are tied to our nature as a social animal. In my experience, the most successful cults always have these similar elements to them: they 1) have a charismatic leader that people think is worth following, 2) have a set of rules or doctrines that the cult member thinks is helping them personally and spiritually and 3) have large amounts of peer pressure to prevent dissent. Many are destructive, totally wrecking a person''s finances, well being and health, while a select few are benign. While most cults crash and burn after a while, there are some that prevail and grow strong even to this day.
For the next few posts, let's talk about movies featuring cults or new age movements.
The first few minutes of the documentary The Source Family shows us the face of Jim Baker, a.k.a. Father Yod, a.k.a. Ya Ho Wha, the leader of the Source Family. In some way Baker looks like most western depictions of god (or, maybe a hippie Santa Claus.)
The documentary then takes us on a journey through the Source Family's creation (they evolved from, of all things, a new age food restaurant) their rise and eventual fall. The Family was a movement created by the age it was forged in. It was a period where 'traditional' social norms were quickly being thrown out the window, and social upheavals were becoming the norm. In this period, a lost generation of youth, often estranged from their parents due to a cultural gap, struggled to find the solace of structure, a place to belong. New Age movements like the Source Family were natural refuges for youths like these.
Hours of footage and hundreds of pictures were used to tell this story, all meticulously recorded by one of the Source Family members. We also hear from people closely tied into the movement, especially Baker's first cult wife, Robin (he left at least one previous marriage before starting the Family). Many are still enthralled by Baker's teachings and practice them today, although tellingly many of them no longer wish to recreate those days. An outsider's perspective on the issue is lacking as well, as only a few people give their views on the movement.
What is most fascinating in the docu to me is the evolution of Baker himself. At first a man prone to violence, having allegedly committed at least two murders prior to changing his life, he became a student of various Yogis and spiritual teachers before becoming one himself. This builds up to the creation of his cult persona and delusions of godhood, before realizing at the end, after perhaps being disillusioned at what everything has brought him, of his own humanness and mortality.
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The definition of a cult is often nebulous; one's cult may be another's faith, and to reach the argument's logical extreme, any deviant religion or fanatical movement can be termed a cult. There are a slew of documentaries that tackle religious movements with uncharacteristic (even unhealthy) zeal, such as some evangelical movements in the US. Films like Children of God: Lost and Found (2007; not to be confused with other similarly named titles), Kidnapped for Christ (2014) and Jesus Camp (2006) detail various techniques of indoctrination and brainwashing that start from childhood.
Often these religious movements take from longstanding religions like Christianity and their creators build upon them, often for their own personal or monetary gain. Few are probably as popular as Reverend Jim Jones, head of the People's Temple of the Disciples of Christ, who infamously committed suicide along with almost a thousand of his followers. Most of these followers drank cyanide laced Flavor Aid juice (often misidentified as Kool-Aid) to kill themselves, giving rise to the popular figure of speech.
The 2006 documentary Jonestown: The Life and Death of People's Temple, is a look at the cult, its rise and inevitable demise. It's not an easy watch, as the ending shows the aftermath of the mass suicide, taken on video.
Jones' cult and his own personal life is examined through archival footage, interviews with Jones' family and interviews with former People's Temple members. Jones' life wasn't normal by any means, his early family life was tumultuous and he had an odd fascination with religion. He learned the ropes of preaching and began building his base.
What's most chilling to me, other than the footage of the Guyana plantation after the mass suicide - was that Jones' words to his followers made sense. And that's how many of these cults stay effective: they were something people thought they could genuinely believe in. That made the resulting brainwashing of his congregation more effective.
There's also the fact that many of Jones' followers were African-American, because Jones' teachings on racial equality were progressive for the time. There was also a tinge of Socalism in the way he taught things, perhaps a reflection on his own beliefs. But in the end, the man really wanted to rake in as many members (and rake in as much cash) as he can.
Ultimately Jones went off the deep end, losing the support of some of his members in the process (who were then prevented from leaving the cult by pressure or by illegal detention.) His paranoia increased to the point where his self destruction manifested itself-taking the lives of many of his followers with him.
On the next installment of this series, let's talk about live action movies featuring cults or new age movements.
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