I'm another person who saw it on cable back in the day. It's a terrific film that should be available. As others have said, that cast is incredible and all do fine work, but the story is grippingly handled by all, in front of the camera and behind.
Another poster here recommended Ticket to Heaven and Jesus Camp as similar films. I recommend them, too. Ticket to Heaven is sorta the Canadian Split Image, with it's own terrific cast (including Nick Mancuso, Saul Rubinek, Kim Catrall, Meg Foster and the great, great R.H. Thompson); it came out roughly around the time Split Image did, and it too is about the luring of a young man into a cult and his subsequent deprogramming. Both keen films, and well worth seeing and compar-and-contrasting.
Jesus Camp is of a whole 'nuther order. It's a much more recent (2006) film, and, as the other poster noted, it's a documentary. Also, while Ticket to Heaven and Split Image are compelling, even disturbing films, they can't hope to compare with how upsetting Jesus Camp is. I mean, I really "like" the film, but it's like watching children being abused for an hour and a half. Because it IS children being abused for an hour and a half.
The film looks at an extremist religious camp for kids (of varied ages, but most of them well younger than the subjects of the two fictional films in question) at which the kids are basically -- and continuously -- berated and terrified into following god. The atmosphere is VERY cult-like, as religious memes are pounded again and again rotely into their young minds, creating what participants and organizers alike freely admit is an army ready for a holy war.
They also speak, in the film, of how they know us godless liberals and such see what they're doing and fear them. They fail to acknowledge how sickened they make many of us, too. Because child abuse *should* sicken and frighten us.
Obama gets accused of indoctrinating children. Queer folk get accused of 'recruiting' kids. Man, Jesus Camp will show you some REAL indoctrination and recruitment of young people.
It's impossible not to watch, not to be completely absorbed, but you leave the viewing experience as if you've just been totally enraptured by the sight of lengthy child rape. I felt sick, disgusted after the film ended, even dirty for thinking a film about such subject matter was so great.
Matthew
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Katz5
12 years ago
Great summary of Jesus Camp. It is a truly frightening film, what's even more frightening is there are so many in the U.S. now who don't think these people are doing anything wrong to the children.
Their mindset: It's prescribed in the Bible (Old Testament in particular), it's "God's calling." Replace "God" with "Allah" and you have the exact same belief system.
Bowing down to the cardboard cut out of George W. Bush and the little plastic babies to protest abortion.....it's all there.
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