Collapse

An Unsubstantiated Rant

Collapse
Director: Chris Smith
With: Michael Ruppert
Rated: Unrated

          Seeing the title, I thought this was a documentary based on Jarred Diamond's book, "Collapse."  Within seconds of pressing play, I knew I was very wrong. 

          The liner notes declare that this is an “avant-garde soliloquy,” that “explains how the lies and political propaganda fed to Americans by big business will eventually lead to human extinction.”  Actually, this is an 82-minute rant by Michael Ruppert regarding peak oil.  From the opening moments of the video, we see the chain-smoking Ruppert sitting in a dark room.  He sighs, cries and expounds on at length that, despite all we might do, we are all going to die. 

          Peak Oil theories are worthy of consideration, but serious consideration comes from clear-headed research and investigation.  In his book, Crossing The Rubicon, Ruppert claimed that  Vice President Dick Cheney, Wall Street and others were conspirators in the 9/11 attacks. Indeed, he authored a newsletter that dealt with conspiracy theories.  Ruppert claims to be “connecting the dots,” but the web of conspiracies he conjures from smoke is more the stuff of late night radio than sober investigation.         

            While Michael Ruppert does seem to have an almost cult like following, I found Collapse, like his ideas about Peak Oil, to be lacking.  This conspiracy-laden one-man show adds nothing new or noteworthy to the discussion.