Zeitgeist

Zeitgeist comes in three parts. The first is about the origins of religion, beginning with the ancient pagan worship of the sun. The film then explains the sun's relationship with the constellations and the zodiac, and then describes how it relates to the myths of numerous religious figures created throughout history. It focuses mainly on the story of one of the most familiar figures: Jesus Christ. Once the narrator has explained the story of Jesus, based on the movement of the sun and stars, he makes a claim that would strike a nerve with a good chunk of the Western world.

Once it's established that religion is a lie, the film goes over the standard conspiracy theories surrounding the events of Sept. 11, 2001. If you are not familiar with these, I will list a few.

The steel pillars in the towers were cut and bombs placed inside the buildings as an intentional demolition that would lead to collapse. Whatever hit the Pentagon could not have been a plane because planes don't vaporize and disappear when they crash. The defense system that stops hijackings was participating in a war game that contained the same scenario as what actually happened, thus confusing them into failure. Some of the people on the list of hijackers turned up alive. The masterminds behind the plot were paid by the American government just before the attack. Et cetera.

The third and final part of the film describes the conspiracy of the Federal Reserve, and how it works to manipulate the government and enslave the American people by putting us all in eternal debt. The mega-rich families that run the Federal Reserve are now planning to create a one-world government that they will control. Also, they want to create a microchip that will be implanted into every human body that will contain all of its identification and money, and that can be turned off whenever the government feels like it.

A lot to take in, isn't it? And that's just a summary.

One thing the viewer must remember when watching "Zeitgeist" is that although it is a documentary, its primary motive is obviously not to inform, but to persuade. There are certain parts of the film that look more like a dramatic commercial than an educational piece. Flashing, emotional images combine with intense music to catch the viewer's attention and rile them up. A cheap trick, maybe, but done well. "Zeitgeist" will rouse your emotions and it is endlessly entertaining. It is clearly biased, although it is not short on quotes and solid evidence.

If you just focus on how the film is made while ignoring the content, a lot of praise can be given to its creators. The visual and auditory effects are often hypnotizing and eerie, keeping the viewer on edge and eager for what will come next. During the more informative sections, especially at the beginning, the quick cycling of images and occasional insertion of humor keeps it interesting. There is not a dull moment to be found in this documentary.

Once the content is inserted back into the picture, the overall quality of the film declines. It raises questions, to be sure, but none of these questions are new. The stuff about religion has been explored before, the 9/11 conspiracy theories started on 9/12, and everyone should know that rich people are scheming to crush us normies under their feet like ants and have been since the invention of currency.

Although I have seen documentaries that use a lot less substantial evidence to report their claims, like with anything, the sources used to make "Zeitgeist" should be thoroughly checked before it is taken too seriously. And who has the time for that, really? The best thing this film does is remind the viewer to ask questions, to do their own research, form their own opinions, and to never ever trust rich people, ever.