Collapse (2009)
Collapse, directed by Chris Smith, is an American documentary film that delves into the theories, writings, and life story of the controversial author Michael Ruppert (1951-2014). The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2009 and garnered positive reviews.
Michael Ruppert, a former Los Angeles police officer, reinvented himself as an independent reporter. His career as a radical thinker and investigative journalist led him to explore critical issues related to energy, economics, and the environment. The film unfolds as an 82-minute monologue, with Ruppert sitting in a room reminiscent of a bunker, recounting his life and sharing his apocalyptic vision of the future.
Here are the key points covered in the documentary:
- Background and Career:
- Ruppert briefly discusses his parents’ connections to U.S. intelligence agencies and his own experience as an LAPD beat cop and detective.
- His transformation into an investigative reporter and radical thinker sets the stage for the film.
- Energy and Economic Issues:
- Ruppert delves into the core concepts of peak oil and sustainable development.
- He critiques fiat money, fractional reserve banking, compound interest, and leveraging.
- The film also touches on Ruppert’s controversial claim of CIA drug trafficking.
- Predictions and Connecting the Dots:
- Ruppert makes a series of predictions, drawing from news reports and data available online.
- He foresees social unrest, violence, population dislocation, and governmental collapses both in the United States and globally.
- His unique approach involves “connecting the dots” to reveal patterns and hidden truths.
- Skepticism and Character Study:
- Director Chris Smith periodically questions Ruppert’s assumptions, injecting a note of skepticism.
- The film becomes a character study, exploring how Ruppert’s obsession with the collapse of industrial civilization impacts his life.
Despite controversy and criticism, Ruppert’s ideas take up residence in viewers’ minds. Whether prophetic or paranoid, his insights provoke thought and reflectionCollapse invites audiences to grapple with the challenges facing our world and consider the consequences of unsustainable policies.
