InjunNose The best Peoples Temple documentary so far, but there remains considerable room for improvement. "The Life and Death of Peoples Temple" glosses over numerous bizarre events in the life of Jim Jones, such as his acquaintance with Dan Mitrione--an infamous undercover CIA operative who was assassinated in Uruguay in 1970--and Jones's extended stay in Brazil during the early 1960s. (Mitrione was there at the same time, working for the U.S. State Department, and the CIA has admitted that it opened a file on Jones when Mitrione was dispatched to Brazil in September 1960). These are established facts, not unverified rumors, so it seems simply lazy to exclude them from what purports to be an evenhanded account of Jones's quasi-religious Marxist cult. Also unexamined here is the medical evidence indicating that most of the 913 victims at Jonestown did not commit suicide, but were murdered. Survivor Stanley Clayton, who is interviewed in the film, saw adults being forcibly injected with cyanide before he escaped from the isolated jungle settlement (see Tim Reiterman's "Raven: The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People"), which appears to confirm the findings of Guyana's chief pathologist Dr. Leslie Mootoo, who was the first to examine the bodies. Those findings, however, are not discussed in the documentary. Were mind control experiments being conducted at Jonestown? (There were large amounts of drugs like sodium thiopental and chloral hydrate in the compound's medical facilities.) Was Jim Jones connected to the CIA, and did the agency seize the perfect opportunity to silence Congressman Leo Ryan, one of its most vocal critics? "The Life and Death of Peoples Temple" eschews these questions, predictably reducing the story--once again--to a real-life soap opera about a megalomaniac and his tragically misguided disciples. The interviews with those who knew Jones and worked alongside or followed him are fascinating, but significant and perhaps crucial chunks of the Peoples Temple saga are missing from this film.

Lechuguilla Those poor people that died; with great sincerity, they trusted the good reverend Jim Jones. He was their "father", their leader; he could do no wrong. Jones promised a better life for his followers in the jungles of Guyana. Jonestown was to be a utopia on earth. And all those who went ... believed. Yet, in reality, Jones was a flimflam man, a con artist, a monster suffering from paranoia, egomania, and delusions of grandeur.This documentary retells the infamous story, with archival footage of Jones' past, and how he organized the Peoples Temple in California. We learn that Jones, charismatic and charming, was quite deceptive, and that he sold himself as God to his flock: "Some people see a great deal of God in my body; they see Christ in me."Though Jonestown residents seemed superficially happy, trouble lurked underneath the smiles and laughter. Upon the visit of a U.S. Congressman and camera crew, a number of Jonestown residents wanted to leave. Which didn't sit well with the good reverend, infinitely suspicious of the intentions both of his own people and of the U.S. Government.The first 48-minute segment of this documentary describes general events before the move to Guyana, and consists largely of interviews. Only in the second half does the film actually detail the final couple of days, November 17th and 18th, 1978. But with filmed events at the scene, and photos, that final 25-minute segment is riveting in its horrifying reality.The documentary could have been better. Especially in the first half, there are way too many repetitive interviews, which focus on impressions rather than facts. I would like to have seen a more factual presentation. Too much time is spent on pre-Guyana events. And the photos don't identify who is in the pictures.Nevertheless, the real-life story itself is so overwhelming, so powerful, that even a mediocre production can be riveting and amazing, as this one is. That such an idealized utopia could morph so quickly into a hellish nightmare shows what a poisonous mix isolation, gullibility, and mass hypnosis can be.

D_Burke The events that led to the deaths of 909 Americans, most of whom voluntarily gave up their lives under the watch and orders of a sadistic, egomaniacal, hypocritical, but convincing madman are, by themselves, very difficult to accept. Any reasonable person would not want to accept that these things have happened, and continue to happen today on a lower magnitude. However, it is best to know how these things happen so that history doesn't repeat itself. It is a lesson that, ironically, was actually spelled out in all capital letters on a sign that hung prominently in Jonestown, Guyana: "THOSE WHO CANNOT REMEMBER THE PAST ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT". It's even more ironic that this particular sign can be seen in the haunting photographs hanging over the lifeless bodies of unfortunate victims.The things that happened in Guyana on November 18, 1978 are a tough pill to swallow, that's for sure. What's great about a documentary like "Jonestown: The Life And Death of People's Temple" is that many of the events leading up to the notorious mass suicides are unfolded with the aid of vast amounts of archive footage, revealing photographs, and absolutely no narration whatsoever. The accounts of more than a dozen former People's Temple members, including some who miraculously made it out of Jonestown alive, provide the much-needed support for this heavy-handed historical account.Viewers who are unaware of the events, or who don't know where the expression "drinking the purple Kool Aid" comes from, will probably be shocked even in the first five minutes of this movie. It is then that the who, what, when, where and how are revealed, none of which is pretty. It is to find out the why that many people, including myself, would want to watch this documentary.Deborah Layton, a former People's Temple member who wrote a bestselling book about her ordeal with Reverend Jim Jones and his followers, starts the documentary out right by saying, "Nobody joins a cult. Nobody joins something they think's gonna hurt them. You join a religious organization, you join a political movement, and you join with people that you really like". Upon hearing this statement, I could not help but think of the proverb, "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions".More pertinent to this story, it seemed as though Jim Jones founded the People's Temple on very good intentions. His church embraced integration when many other churches were against it. When his congregation grew, the Temple provided a great amount of community service. As you watch the footage of the church services, you see so many happy people, and it's easy to forget the magnitude of the group's eventual demise.In fact, the interviewees do a great job expressing their reasons for joining the Temple. They also delve into some interesting details about when Jim Jones revealed his true intentions to them behind closed doors. Let's just say that some of his tactics ranged from public humiliation to sodomy.Of course, once Reverend Jones and company hightail it to a remote location in Guyana, the story gets even more disturbing. The opinions of Jonestown vary amongst the survivors. Some hated it from the start, while others loved it up until the very end. Regardless, the accounts that came from all these people, including Jim Jones' adopted African-American son Jim Jones, Jr., are all fascinating.Director Stanley Nelson did some great research for this documentary, and the interviews served as the backbone for this project. The only weakness the documentary has involves the aftermath of the survivors. You're given an epilogue consisting solely of what family and friends each surviving member lost. What I wanted to know, however, is how the survivors, who had given their lives and possessions to the People's Temple, moved on from the ordeal. They lost everything, yet when it was probably easiest to kill themselves along with the other Guyana members, they are still around today to tell the tale. It also would have been nice to know if they are successful or not.Actually, Nelson wanted to include such information, but claimed he ran out of time. If he directs a companion piece to this documentary that includes such information, it would be information that would offset the pain of such a tragedy at least a little, and that is all most viewers could ask for in this instance.

e-bradley08 Jonestown, directed by Stanley Nelson, is a film covering the disastrous mass "suicide" of 900 members of The Peoples Temple, led by preacher, Jim Jones in Jonestown, Guana in 1978.The ideas that were presented in this film were numerous; however, I found the idea of the grand power of brainwashing to be particularly interesting. The idea that "you don't ever join a cult, you join a religious or political group with people you like and with whom you have similar views" struck me. Jim Jones made these people believe that his way of life was the only way of life, made them think they could not leave his program, and told them that "if you wanted me to be your God, I will be your God." Though the film focuses mainly on the major events that were involved in creating and being a part of The Peoples Temple and then finally the suicide, the film also talks about Jim Jones as a person. They mention that he was obsessed with death as a child, and was a very good speaker and preacher. It makes mention of false miracles, his abuse of alcohol, and other illicit actions he takes part in. This man influenced so many people and brainwashed them to believe that there was no reason to live any longer, they should just die in peace. It is a scary thing to think that a man like that can have that kind of power over so many people.Those interviewed ranged from members of The Peoples Temple who were unable to go to Guana, relatives of those who were involved in The Peoples Temple, and a women who was able to visit Guana the day before the suicide, to those who managed to escape into the jungle of Guana the day of the tragedy. Those who were able to escape are to be applauded for their bravery to be on film. Their stories are heart-wrenching, and the fact they shared that part of themselves with an audience is to be highly recognized. Two men who were interviewed, whose story you follow throughout the film, watch their children die and hold their wives in their arms as they slip out of consciousness. These two men were able to escape that day.Stanley Nelson directed "The American Experience", which was four documentaries, one of which was Jonestown. The other installments in this series were The Murder of Emmett Till (2003), Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind (2001) and We Shall Remain: Part V - Wounded Knee, which is to air in May of this year. He has also directed films like, "The Black Press: Soldiers without Swords" and "A Place of Our Own." Looking at the film from a purely technical standpoint I really appreciated the editing style in the film. I really loved the use of audio of Jones preaching over still images. I liked all of the images they used of Jonestown and the pictures they used of the dead members laying face down with Jones' voice over it. It was haunting. Also, the music in the film wasn't overbearing and therefore it was very effective. It was well used for tone and establishing a mood for the audience.I really enjoyed watching Jonestown, and I felt it was well filmed and though it must have been a difficult thing to shoot it was handled with great care and creativity. It was a chilling experience and certainly taught me something I didn't know about previously.