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The anti-preacher
'Religulous' funny, smart, but ultimately too much
By Melissa Campbell
Clips from religious flicks, gay pornos, and Scarface are interjected into interviews for comedic or punctual effect. Sometimes montages are combined with pop hits like the Bangles' "Walk Like an Egyptian."
Bill Maher is no stranger to controversy. The host of "Real Time With Bill Maher" angered many a few years ago when he quipped that instead of a memorial, we should eredct a "Why They Hate Us" pavilion at Ground Zero. His new film, "Religulous," a look at the fanatical nature of religion. is no exception. The documentary opened Oct. 3, and already has sparked protests and boycotts from the religious right.
Teamed with "Borat" director Larry Charles, Maher sets off across the nation, attempting, he tells us, to get some answers about why we believe the way we believe.
Much like Michael Moore ("Fahrenheit 9/11"), Maher makes no attempt to hide his prejudice. He says in the film's opening line, "religion is a deterant to human progress." Yet his premise, to find out why we have religion, left me scratching my head in the end. He tells the audience that he is going in search for answers about why we have religion. This gives the impression that Maher is a seeker, one who seeks wisdom about a subject that confuses him; as he conducts his interviews, and interjects his commentary, it is clear that Maher has all the answers he needs. Much like his fanantical counterparts, Maher's mind is made up: religion is absurd because we cannot be certain about anything the larger mysteries of life. He questions his subjects, but his words are loaded, and the intent is to poke holes more than it is to find answers. And he does a great job at making everyone he talks to look like a big bowl of crazy.
The comedian has picked an eccentric supporting cast: an ex-homosexual who is married to an ex-lesbian with three children who now helps homosexuals find the riteous path of heterosexuality; an evangelical Christian senator who happily gives Maher the film's zinger when he answers a question about the intelligence of religious politicians with, "You don't have to pass an IQ test to be in the senate;" a man who plays Jesus in the Christian theme park Holy Land, located just minutes from Disney World; and a Puerto Rican who believes that he is not only is a direct descendant of Jesus Christ but also the second coming of Christ.
Maher has clearly done his research, and he uses the religion itself as his weapon of choice. He confronts his subjects with contradicting statements from their gospel, and wields facts and logic against belief and faith. Its pretty clear who wins as each interview comes to a close. Yet at times, it hardly seems like a fair fight---Maher and Charles have a powerful tool on their hands that they use to their advantage: editing. Cleverly, the pair turn to pop culture to "liven" up the interviews. Clips from religious flicks, gay pornos, and Scarface are interjected into interviews for comedic or punctual effect. Sometimes montages are combined with pop hits like the Bangles' "Walk Like an Egyptian." Othertimes intertitles are used as a bullshit meter, to tell us when someone is being dishonest. The overall treatment of the subject is in itself a direct reflection of Maher's believe that religion is ridiculous.
The film culminates with a Maher sermon; he tells us that religion is our ultimate folly, that it is the cause of all the violence and destruction in the world, and that it will be our undoing. He calls for the agnostic and atheist to rise up and let their voices be heard over the drowning shriekds of the religious right. And then he says that we have two choices: give up religion, or die. The final image we are left with, as the music soars to a climatic closure, is the mushroom cloud of an atomic bomb, enveloping the screen.
There is no doubt that Bill Maher is smart, witty, and sharp. "Religulous" is a riot, but ultimately the film feels just like the propaganda put out by the Church, just preached from the other side of the road. Maher would have been better off letting the present absurdity shine through instead of climbing up on his soapbox.
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