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#233 - Jesus Camp
Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing, 2006
A documentary about a children's camp held by Evangelical Christians in Missouri, centring on both the event's organisers and attendees.
I get the feeling that Jesus Camp is supposed to be an objective portrait of the practices of a certain sect of Christianity, but it seems a bit hard for the filmmakers to resist throwing in the occasional musical cue or visual juxtaposition to subtly condemn both the camp and the people who organise and enable it while also showcasing its young attendees as victims of what is apparently tantamount to brainwashing. Subtle, but noticeable. Even so, Jesus Camp is a somewhat unsettling experience regardless of your own religious convictions or lack thereof. Though one could look at adults like Becky Fischer and Ted Haggard (especially the latter, considering the incredibly hypocritical scandal he caused in the years following this film's release) and think of them as laughable caricature-like examples of fundamentalist Christians, they are still countered by the presence of the children, which does suck any potential humour out of the film. There are multiple scenes of children being driven to tears during church gatherings as they are led to make public confessions or speak in tongues. These scenes are always at least a little distressing to watch, but there's more going on with the scenes that actually focus on the children as individuals. The film follows the same handful of nice, idealistic kids who can't exactly be blamed for absorbing some especially dangerous thinking because of their elders (such as believing in young earth creationism or hero-worshipping George W. Bush).
Jesus Camp is a rather provocative film no matter how one views the concept of organised religion, though one could very easily take serious issue with the political convictions that Fischer and co. showcase and encourage through their belief system. Some of the more ludicrous attitudes and behaviours on display may wring some cynical amusement out of certain viewers, but it's far more likely to elicit a number of negative emotions such as sadness or frustration. Unfortunately for the film, by attempting to present a face-value documentary the film doesn't exactly have a lot of depth beyond "look at how messed-up these people are" - the closest it gets is through a series of scenes involving a radio host discussing the topic and eventually having an on-air dialogue with Fischer herself. If you do want a straightforward depiction of life inside a fundamentalist sub-section of America and all the culture shock that that would entail, then look no further. Otherwise, there's not a whole lot to this documentary beyond it being a source of discomfort and fascination.
Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing, 2006
A documentary about a children's camp held by Evangelical Christians in Missouri, centring on both the event's organisers and attendees.
I get the feeling that Jesus Camp is supposed to be an objective portrait of the practices of a certain sect of Christianity, but it seems a bit hard for the filmmakers to resist throwing in the occasional musical cue or visual juxtaposition to subtly condemn both the camp and the people who organise and enable it while also showcasing its young attendees as victims of what is apparently tantamount to brainwashing. Subtle, but noticeable. Even so, Jesus Camp is a somewhat unsettling experience regardless of your own religious convictions or lack thereof. Though one could look at adults like Becky Fischer and Ted Haggard (especially the latter, considering the incredibly hypocritical scandal he caused in the years following this film's release) and think of them as laughable caricature-like examples of fundamentalist Christians, they are still countered by the presence of the children, which does suck any potential humour out of the film. There are multiple scenes of children being driven to tears during church gatherings as they are led to make public confessions or speak in tongues. These scenes are always at least a little distressing to watch, but there's more going on with the scenes that actually focus on the children as individuals. The film follows the same handful of nice, idealistic kids who can't exactly be blamed for absorbing some especially dangerous thinking because of their elders (such as believing in young earth creationism or hero-worshipping George W. Bush).
Jesus Camp is a rather provocative film no matter how one views the concept of organised religion, though one could very easily take serious issue with the political convictions that Fischer and co. showcase and encourage through their belief system. Some of the more ludicrous attitudes and behaviours on display may wring some cynical amusement out of certain viewers, but it's far more likely to elicit a number of negative emotions such as sadness or frustration. Unfortunately for the film, by attempting to present a face-value documentary the film doesn't exactly have a lot of depth beyond "look at how messed-up these people are" - the closest it gets is through a series of scenes involving a radio host discussing the topic and eventually having an on-air dialogue with Fischer herself. If you do want a straightforward depiction of life inside a fundamentalist sub-section of America and all the culture shock that that would entail, then look no further. Otherwise, there's not a whole lot to this documentary beyond it being a source of discomfort and fascination.