I would hope that the majority of our smarter than the average hippie reader have had the opportunity to see Zeitgeist by this point in time.  It is, after all, an interesting and remarkably powerful little piece of conspiracy/documentary filmmaking.  Throughout its three divisions (Why Sunday School Was A Lie... even though you already knew; Why 9/11 Was A Lie... even though you already knew; and Why Rich People Still Want To Take Over The World) there are copious little snippets of information that will shock, appall, intrigue, and enlighten the viewer, just like any good piece of propaganda.  Don't like the word propaganda?  Neither do I, but that is precisely what this film is... and I made sure of it's definition:

   1.    Information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.
   2.    The deliberate spreading of such information, rumors, etc.
   3.    The particular doctrines or principles propagated by an organization or movement.

It is all too obvious that the producers of Zeitgeist have their own aims in mind.  They are clearly against the use of organized religion as a sedative for civilization and resent those in power for using it as their weapon of choice.  They view the terrorist attacks (and they certainly were performed by terrorists - it's only a matter of whether they were internal or external) of 9/11/2001 as being a result of a black flag operation, that itself was used as a marketing ploy for various international wars and the curtailing of civil liberties within the United States.  And in the final segment, they finger the American Aristocracy (read: the wealthy) as being in on it all, planning things such as stock market crashes, utilizing their power within the Federal Reserve, profiteering through the expansion and maintenance of wars, and, ultimately, developing a one world state run by the banking elite.

And you know what?  I believe them. Or, more accurately, I should say that I agree with them.  The points they raised have been thrown around countless conversations I've had with High School World Issues teachers, History professors, and too many late night documentary binges. What I hold issue with in Zeitgeist is the fact that, largely, they had verifiable facts on their side but instead voted to go with the more visceral, more human option.  They run hot and cold in this regard, utilizing at some times very trustworthy sources, such as Professor Stephen Jones discussing the analysis of debris from the World Trade Center site, while using George Carlin and Bill Hicks as religious commentators (who would not be considered religious scholars by anyone in the know); as well as their use of Acharya S (or D. M. Murdock) and her book “The Christ Conspiracy” instead of the original religious texts. 

Of course, some of this makes for a more interesting film, but to a discerning viewer it results in a sense of unease.  It is obvious that they are trying to sway you to their side but why, when the information is so readily available, do they choose this path?  For instance, how many of us outside of the study of Astronomy know for certain that the height of the sun reaches an absolute minimum on the Winter Solstice and remains there for three days?  This was a primary piece of evidence utilized in the first part of the film to illustrate the astronomical origins of the Christ/Buddha/Joshua/Mithra/Horus myth. 

A quick call to the Dominion Observatory and I found myself on a US Naval Website (the US Naval Observatory, Astronomical Applications Department, to be exact) with collected data from the years 1700 to 2008 on the altitude of the sun and, for Victoria, BC (W123 21', N48 25') I found the following data:


U.S. Naval Observatory

While this data doesn't give a perfect “3 day burial” ending on Christmas, if we note that 2007 had a rather late Solstice (Fri Dec 21 2007 22:07:36 GMT-0800 (PST)) we would expect the sun’s altitude to increase again on the 26th.  The sun's minimum is also shallower in the frigid north of Canada.  When I tracked down last year’s data from Horus' home city of Cairo (W 82 29', N22 52'), the sun drops to 43.7 degrees on the 21st and rises to 43.8 degrees on the 25th.  Lo and Behold, the truth supports the information presented in Zeitgeist!  All that remains is the puzzle as to why they did not present it themselves.  This knowledge of the motion of the earth is best expressed in the ancient image of the analemma, which appears to be a figure-8, and follows the sun's fictitious path through the sky over an entire year.  This symbol has been noted in history for several thousand years.

Additionally, if one looks at the sources page for Zeitgeist on their website, the first thing you will note is that throughout the sources, the citations are not direct, they do not show page numbers.  Now, this irks the T.A. in me, I don't trust anyone who does not give the direct origin of a citation.  And again, there are very few “primary” sources quoted, especially in Part One.  Not a single mention of an original religious text other than the Bible, while information on many other “Christ” figures are presented. 

Zeitgeist comes across as seeking to be a beacon of truth.  They are the ones telling you that you have been lied to your entire life, and they seek to show you exactly where and how, yet at many points they take the easy way out.  Images of violence flicker across the screen, sepia toned photographs of old Rockefellers give them an air of cartoonish villainy, the screams of trapped workers as the towers fall.  All powerful and true, but they seek out a visceral response, while the verbal message of the movie is one of conscious citizenship, intelligent opposition to corruption, removing the blinders of governmental control.  An excellent counterpoint to this method is found in the works of John Ralston Saul, renowned Canadian philosopher, lecturer, and activist.  His rigorous and meticulous footnoting, referencing, and sourcing, provides near concrete cohesion to his thoughts and conclusions, which would otherwise read like unfounded rantings on why economists, managers, and lawyers are the bane of modern society.

Zeitgeist is a powerful movie.  It is gripping, and its message is vitally important.  So important, that one must in fact apply it's message to the movie itself, to oneself, and finally to other aspects of society.  If there is something you are unsure of, check it yourself, and if that fact is found false, it is your duty to move forward with that knowledge and present it to others.  There's no shame in being confused or unsure; in fact there is great honour in seeking out the truth, but once found, present it clearly and without ambiguity. That’s a sentiment shared by Aesop Rock in his verbal assault on Catholicism, in the song “Holy Smokes”: “I'm more Science than Faith / I'm more Karma than Bread and Booze / I'm not an asshole / I'm just a little confused.”

If you find this whole conspiracy business as fascinating as I do, I'd suggest you beware the ides of March.  March 15th 2008 is Z-Day, a global day of action and reflection on our social situation. Check out the film’s website for details and to find full references to this article check with the online version.