Review of Audience of One (2007) by M H — 07 Jun 2010

I have to agree with the guy comparing this to "Aguirre: The Wrath of God." -- But Kinski's insanity -- though very violent and vocal -- almost seems tame in comparison with Richard Gazowsky presence, as subdued as it might seem to be. You start off thinking "Oh, that's nice... He's obviously naive, but a seemingly well-intentioned dreamer" which quickly progresses to "Wow... this guy is kind of a dick... But not a loud mouth dick... Just a dick that pretends like he's your friend but would gleefully piss on you while you're lying in a gutter"... And by the end, you become absolutely speechless.

The Pastor's "8 Objectives" Powerpoint Presentation which he feeds to his congregation at the end of the film is one of the most penetrating insights into complete and total madness that I have ever seen on film. "Apocalypse Now" and "Aguirre" seem like small potatoes. Even his own followers, who followed him and supported him all throughout his disastrous efforts (which NEVER once proved to even seem optimistic, at any time) seem to begin to questioning the mental stability of the guy. Once he gets to his final point, the obligatory encouraging claps and applause begin to slow down and cease entirely. Just a surreal, hilarious, and terrifying experience all at once. Please see this movie.