Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple

On November 18, 1978, the Rev. Jim Jones and over 900 members of his Peoples Temple committed "revolutionary suicide" in the jungles of Guyana—a mad act that followed the murder of Congressman Leo Ryan and others who traveled to Guyana to investigate claims that Jones was holding church members against their will. How did the events at Jonestown happen, particularly in a highly integrated church that claimed to champion the ideals of peace and justice? Filmmaker Stanley Nelson's PBS-aired documentary, part of the acclaimed American Experience series, tries to make sense of a senseless act. Drawing on testimony from Jones' friends and associates, as well as surviving members of the Peoples Temple, the film traces Jones' upbringing in a dysfunctional family, his attraction to the Pentecostal church, and his rejection of what he felt was a racist culture in his home state of Indiana. A spellbinding speaker with an ability to quickly organize, Jones' attracted members of all races to his rapidly growing church—founded as the Wings of Deliverance in 1954 and renamed the Peoples Temple in 1955--which he moved to California in 1965, where it gained the support of government leaders. Gradually, some of the faithful noticed a dark side, including Jones' growing paranoia, delusions of grandeur, and ever increasing drug abuse. Whispered tales arose of misuse of church members' money, sexual abuse, and a cult culture that encouraged church members to spy on each other. Jonestown features rare footage of early church services, the sojourn in California, the move to Guyana and, of course, the hellish last hours that culminated in the mass murder-suicides. DVD extras include behind-the-scenes interviews and deleted scenes. The best documentary on the subject produced to date, this is highly recommended (although school libraries should consider with discretion due to adult language and themes). Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)