.religulous.
* * * * out of * * * * *
When I asked my father if he'd like to see this movie with me, he replied, "Well, I don't much like the man" (meaning humorist Bill Maher) "and I don't much care for his opinions, either. So, no, I don't think I'll enjoy it much." He went on to say that he has no time for those who make fun of others simply for having faith, which is, I admit, the main point of the documentary. As a loving daughter and one who had a charismatic Christian upbringing, I would be inclined to agree; I was taught to believe that the exploration of other religions was dangerous (I had to enjoy "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" on the sly as a child due to the fear that it would indoctrinate me with "Eastern philosophies") and that the questioning, let alone the mocking, of the faith in which I had been brought up was downright sinful. However, as an intelligent and inquisitive young woman who has long since thrown off the shackles of ignorance, and as a modern-day Marco Polo of religious exploration, I was obviously intrigued by the concept of Religulous. Maher and director Larry Charles scoured the earth and found the excessively, obsessively devout to ask them for an explanation. Why do they, how can they, believe all the things they believe? And if they can even begin to provide such an explanation, how can they possibly justify all the hatred, intolerance, oppression, misery, and bloodshed spawned by religious adherence?
Maher and Charles set out with two goals: to expose the ridiculous in modern (and almost exclusively Western) religion, and to create a call to arms to the non-religious among us. They succeeded on both accounts.
As a documentary, it is masterfully entertaining, and, for those mercifully lacking in delicate sensibilities, laugh-out-loud hilarious nearly throughout. Bill Maher, host (is that the correct title for the "star" of a documentary? Maybe film school would have been a good idea after all) and credited writer, takes the stance of the sardonic agnostic; when asked to define his faith, he repeatedly states, "I don't know". But he does manage to stifle the sarcasm enough (when he's not interviewing) to convey his genuine incredulity that anyone can claim to know anything as far as faith is concerned, much less practice all the absurdity and injustice carried out in its name. In his interviews, however, sarcastic disbelief prevails, as he almost seems to be conspiratorially nudging some of the interviewees, saying, "C'mon, now, you can tell me, you don't really believe this nonsense, do you?" However, while his questions are definitely leading, rather than directly poke fun at his subjects, he lets them make themselves ridiculous with their responses. (My personal favorite is Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor's entire segment. He drops some of the most Dubbya-esque abuses of both intelligence and the English language I've heard since, well... Dubbya.) Not all the subjects make fools out of themselves, however, the most refreshing of these being the two Vatican priests who consent to talk to him. (He's been on the Vatican's shit list for a while now, as evidenced by their forcible ejection from the Holy City by the Swiss Guard.) Both make such thoroughly sensible yet unapologetic arguments that even Maher is taken by pleasant surprise.
Larry Charles, whose most recent, most famous, and most controversial work (until now?) was 2006's Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, brought the same chuckling irreverence from that mockumentary to this film, although obviously toned down a bit by the presence of a non-fictional host. Religulous is well-paced and engaging, mostly due to Charles' comedic directoral magic. He leaves in all the right details to highlight the opposition they face and their bold defiance of spiritual "authority", such as pointing out the infidel status of the entire crew, himself (a Jew) and Maher (50% Catholic, 50% Jewish) included, that was being allowed to film inside the Dome of the Rock, where Jews are strictly forbidden entrance. Charles' sly wit behind the scenes makes the documentary into a genuinely diverting experience and not just another pedantic bore.
Although the film held few surprises for me as far as the ludicrous extents to which people take their religious fanaticism, it could prove quite enlightening for anyone who hasn't necessarily been exposed to this unconventional flipside and who is willing to take the opportunity to rethink some things. The documentary makes the quite relevant point that for something so fundamentally mythic and subjective, we sure do let religion make quite a mess of things. As Maher points out, the Non-Religious are this country's largest minority, and he calls out for them to wise up, rise up, and make some much-needed change in a world gone higher power-mad. One can only hope that there are enough people willing to give over two hours of their life to Religulous to be enormously entertained, to have their thoughts provoked, to hear the call and decide for themselves how best to heed it.
When I asked my father if he'd like to see this movie with me, he replied, "Well, I don't much like the man" (meaning humorist Bill Maher) "and I don't much care for his opinions, either. So, no, I don't think I'll enjoy it much." He went on to say that he has no time for those who make fun of others simply for having faith, which is, I admit, the main point of the documentary. As a loving daughter and one who had a charismatic Christian upbringing, I would be inclined to agree; I was taught to believe that the exploration of other religions was dangerous (I had to enjoy "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" on the sly as a child due to the fear that it would indoctrinate me with "Eastern philosophies") and that the questioning, let alone the mocking, of the faith in which I had been brought up was downright sinful. However, as an intelligent and inquisitive young woman who has long since thrown off the shackles of ignorance, and as a modern-day Marco Polo of religious exploration, I was obviously intrigued by the concept of Religulous. Maher and director Larry Charles scoured the earth and found the excessively, obsessively devout to ask them for an explanation. Why do they, how can they, believe all the things they believe? And if they can even begin to provide such an explanation, how can they possibly justify all the hatred, intolerance, oppression, misery, and bloodshed spawned by religious adherence?
Maher and Charles set out with two goals: to expose the ridiculous in modern (and almost exclusively Western) religion, and to create a call to arms to the non-religious among us. They succeeded on both accounts.
As a documentary, it is masterfully entertaining, and, for those mercifully lacking in delicate sensibilities, laugh-out-loud hilarious nearly throughout. Bill Maher, host (is that the correct title for the "star" of a documentary? Maybe film school would have been a good idea after all) and credited writer, takes the stance of the sardonic agnostic; when asked to define his faith, he repeatedly states, "I don't know". But he does manage to stifle the sarcasm enough (when he's not interviewing) to convey his genuine incredulity that anyone can claim to know anything as far as faith is concerned, much less practice all the absurdity and injustice carried out in its name. In his interviews, however, sarcastic disbelief prevails, as he almost seems to be conspiratorially nudging some of the interviewees, saying, "C'mon, now, you can tell me, you don't really believe this nonsense, do you?" However, while his questions are definitely leading, rather than directly poke fun at his subjects, he lets them make themselves ridiculous with their responses. (My personal favorite is Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor's entire segment. He drops some of the most Dubbya-esque abuses of both intelligence and the English language I've heard since, well... Dubbya.) Not all the subjects make fools out of themselves, however, the most refreshing of these being the two Vatican priests who consent to talk to him. (He's been on the Vatican's shit list for a while now, as evidenced by their forcible ejection from the Holy City by the Swiss Guard.) Both make such thoroughly sensible yet unapologetic arguments that even Maher is taken by pleasant surprise.
Larry Charles, whose most recent, most famous, and most controversial work (until now?) was 2006's Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, brought the same chuckling irreverence from that mockumentary to this film, although obviously toned down a bit by the presence of a non-fictional host. Religulous is well-paced and engaging, mostly due to Charles' comedic directoral magic. He leaves in all the right details to highlight the opposition they face and their bold defiance of spiritual "authority", such as pointing out the infidel status of the entire crew, himself (a Jew) and Maher (50% Catholic, 50% Jewish) included, that was being allowed to film inside the Dome of the Rock, where Jews are strictly forbidden entrance. Charles' sly wit behind the scenes makes the documentary into a genuinely diverting experience and not just another pedantic bore.
Although the film held few surprises for me as far as the ludicrous extents to which people take their religious fanaticism, it could prove quite enlightening for anyone who hasn't necessarily been exposed to this unconventional flipside and who is willing to take the opportunity to rethink some things. The documentary makes the quite relevant point that for something so fundamentally mythic and subjective, we sure do let religion make quite a mess of things. As Maher points out, the Non-Religious are this country's largest minority, and he calls out for them to wise up, rise up, and make some much-needed change in a world gone higher power-mad. One can only hope that there are enough people willing to give over two hours of their life to Religulous to be enormously entertained, to have their thoughts provoked, to hear the call and decide for themselves how best to heed it.
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