Collapse

“The whole economy is a pyramid scheme.” While that statement might not sound so crazy, given the last couple of years, it's just the first of many warnings delivered by Michael Ruppert in Chris Smith's documentary. An author, decorated cop, CIA whistleblower, political watchdog, and independent investigative journalist, Ruppert has been trying for decades to convince America that a civilization built on oil and petroleum products is unsustainable. Playing like a minimalist version of An Inconvenient Truth—with a paranoid dimension—this feature-length interview film presents Ruppert's vision of an impending meltdown that borders on science fiction apocalypse. While Ruppert's critics have labeled his ideas as crackpot extremism and fringe conspiracy theory, the evidence Ruppert presents regarding the oil-based economy and covert U.S. policies suggests that global disaster may indeed be waiting in the wings. But Smith isn't out to challenge or debate his subject, merely to offer him a platform, so the result here is less of a dialogue than a lecture with prompts. A nonpartisan portrait of doom that seems especially timely in the wake of the BP catastrophe, Collapse should play well with survivalists of all stripes. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include deleted scenes (16 min.), a “Collapse Update” (13 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an interesting documentary portrait.] (S. Axmaker)