Jonestown: The Life and Death of People's Temple

Being of the slightly younger generation, my limited exposure with cult issues ranges from David Karesh to the Heaven's Gate debacle. I've read about Charles Manson and Jim Jones, heard all the Kool-Aid jokes, and thusly I've been able to keep up with the references in various Simpsons episodes. But it wasn't until Jones' commanding voice blared from the loudspeaker, the archived tapes painting a macabre scene over the 16mm beauty of the Guyanan rainforest, that I realized the impact. I was one of two people in the theatre and by the end we were both in uncontrollable tears.

It's a sad story, the tragedy of People's Temple and the Jonestown community. Stanley Nelson's tale is one of supreme empathy. The film relies on large amounts of previously unseen 16mm documentation and audio recordings made by the Temple itself. Despite the revelatory images and sounds, there's not much being presented that hasn't already been revealed over the years by various news sources and psychologists. The cornerstone of Nelson's take on the material is steady thoughout the film, and it is the belief that People's Temple was born in optimism. Jim Jones preached faith, and despite his ominous allusions to himself as father, lover, and even God, the message was always one and the same: It's a big, bad world out there, and in People's Temple lies not only spiritual Salvation, but economical, physical, practical Salvation. Quite unlike Baptist, Evangelical, Pentecostal faith systems promising unlimited bounty in the next world, Jones offered something considerably more attractive: support in this world as well.

As a companion piece to this, despite my ever-present indignant attitude, I recommend Jesus Camp, a film that, due to an obligatory Oscar nod, is again being picked up by a theatre in your area. In stark contrast to Jonestown's Ken Burns-style journalism, Jesus Camp is a sideshow of religious zealouts, jammed into a shortened-for-consumption expos.. that breathes sensationalism like an underabundant supply of oxygen. Jesus Camp's tone is angry, inflammatory, and propagandistic. Jonestown is a welcome removal from the frothing mad world of competitve agenda-pushing and actually exhibits some compassion for its wounded subjects. It's a sad and delicate tribute.