source: Collapse

This documentary is outstanding on every level - director Chris Smith introduces the viewer to life of Michael Ruppert but that is only the surface. Ruppert's view of the modern world and its tendencies is somewhat unique, considering the public mainstream opinions about everything and everyone. He analyzes issues that are relevant at this point and links them all together. It creates a devastating prospect. Ruppert is nervous, his eyes make him look like a lost puppy, eagerly smoking one cigarette after another. But who wouldn't be lost in his place? He has seen the future and the effects of that make him look like a crackpot. The title of the movie could be referable to Michael, our way of thinking not only the world system itself. Chris Smith has done some great job, making the film visually enjoyable by interrogating Ruppert in a dark bunker and adding captivating visual material. We are heading towards end of the world and our lifestyle as we know it. If you are able to grasp that at least after seeing this documentary, better fasten your seat-belt for a bumpy ride, if you are not able to do that - enjoy this dwindling era of oil as much as you can cause there is no really much time left to do that. A must-see for those who want to know. TO KNOW. For those who are seeking the truth like Neo. For those who think that ignorance is a bliss, better skip this and watch some American Idol-like show. Seriously.

As others have reviewed this documentary, I will mostly comment on its subject matter. Michael Ruppert showed well that he is a credible canary in the mineshaft for global awareness of humanity's problems that must be corrected for continued life on earth. All of his concerns are true, and some are even worse than he stated, but the very worst problem of all didn't even get a mention from him....that of global overpopulation that is the root cause of all the symptoms of our existence troubles that he did state. To simplify......if the world's population was 20% of what it is now, the maximum sustainable figure, all of Ruppert's concerns for human existence would not be crucial for thousands more years when real solutions to the problems he stated might be available. But, we cry about the symptoms and don't care one bit about the cause so we continue to overpopulate all countries with uncontrolled new births, and are continually overburdened with resultant and mostly unsolvable problems as a result. Air, water, oil, food, and every single other problem of today that Ruppert stated has been caused by overpopulation, but still we cry only about symptoms, as Ruppert does, instead of the root cause of all our global problems....too many people being born with no controls on it and, what is much worse, no gov't or societal thought even being given to it. As a result of that typical human stupidity and shortsightedness we are done, people, it is just a matter of time, and not that much time either, as your own young grandchildren will suffer badly as a result. But, still you don't care, so nothing is ever done about it. We don't deserve any more time on earth if we don't even care enough about protecting our continued existence by working on the cause of all of our problems.

I had never heard of Michael Ruppert before watching this documentary and, being honest, it is likely that I will never hear of him again but it is more than likely that the future may make me hark back to the basic points that he makes in this film. Collapse is basically an interview with Ruppert where he presents his views on a world that is unsustainable and unwilling to really make the hard decisions and face the stark reality of the situation that perhaps could help us cope when the systems and world that we accept live in now starts to collapse. Taking the reliance on oil as his starting point, Ruppert takes us through a world where time is running out and that the economic collapse that he predicted will only the first of many. Essentially what this film does is the equivalent of getting stuck at a bus stop listening to a guy who is convinced that the world is going to come to an end and that "they" are just keeping us in the dark for some reason. I don't mean this as negatively as it sounds but it is fair to say that this film doesn't hide the fact that at times Ruppert gets carried away with himself, doesn't always cope well with having the totally open stage that he has in the interview, gets passionate, is obsessive and does happen to make statements that (out of context) come off as paranoid and doomsday in nature. It is also fair to say that, unless you already share his mindset, that there will be several times during the film where he goes further than you will be willing to go or says things that either don't make sense, seem like a stretch or that you just plain disagree with. Mostly the film lets him talk so it is only fair that these moments are left in the film because it does let us see that, being frank, Ruppert is obsessive and that perhaps some of what he says is exaggerated and extreme but this is not to say that he is 100% wrong. So while I personally don't agree with him on the imminent nature of the collapse of the oil reserves (or that they are significantly smaller than "they" are telling us), one cannot really argue that from plastics to fuel, we really have put all our eggs into the "oil" basket and that supplies are simply not infinite. Likewise, because all of our eggs are in one place, moving them may well be possible in small numbers but if we suddenly have no basket – we're going to have a load of broken eggs. At this level the film is engaging and provides plenty to think about and I think that Ruppert is at his best when he is talking generally because his basic points are hard to argue; it is only when he gets into specifics or gets tied up in details that he begins to say "they" too often or get a bit more emotional. These moments hurt the film by hurting him, although in fairness since the documentary is technically about him, then it is all part of the film and is a good bit of balance. So yes, Collapse will lose you at some point but it will also engage you at many more; it isn't the most factual of documentaries nor is it the best in terms of structure but I found it mostly very engaging and it sent me onto news sites and opinion sites on the internet to read up on some of the less "opinion" related "facts" that it Ruppert presents. Worth seeing for its faults because it is engaging and provides much to think about, even if your conclusions may not lie as far out there as Ruppert's.

Chris Smith's "Collapse" is a strange documentary, but an objective one. There's much in Michael Ruppert's views that are worth being concerned about. It's not like he pulled the information from his hind end...much of it has been documented ad nauseum in different mediums. It's to Smith's credit that he did not try to make Ruppert seem more credible than he is. In fact, there are times when he seems to go to great lengths to demonstrate how emotionally unstable his subject appears to be. It's obvious Ruppert carries around a lot of baggage that has resulted in a hyper-paranoid, overly-alarmist sensibility. He talks about being the type who "builds the lifeboats" in a Titanic scenario --- exactly what lifeboats has he built? I just see him standing on the bridge, waving like a maniac. Information is only as good as its source and Ruppert is damaged goods: he's twitchy, chain-smokes incessantly, alternates between defensive and ranting responses, refuses to answer questions that challenge his "credentials" (shaky, at best), advocates survivalist measures, and weeps openly into the camera. Look, I'm not saying anything Ruppert believes will NOT come to pass. My problem is that he comes across as such a fractured emotional basket case that it's hard if not impossible to take him seriously unless he's telling you what you want to hear in the first place. If he was credible, he'd probably be dead by now. But if the CIA doesn't take him seriously, should we? This doc has been compared favorably to Erroll Morris' "The Fog of War" --- unfortunately, McNamara is a believable source, Ruppert is not, though I have no doubt that he wishes he was with all his heart.

The best documentary I've ever seen, Never got boring and sets the impending alarm bells off. What he talks of could effects 99% of the human race.... and all within a lifetime. The truth does hurt and ignorance is bliss. But ultimately people should know the likeliness of truth. Capitalism is the main culprit in all of this, as well as laziness, wastefulness of resources and an overpopulation. It won't be the end of the world, it will be the end of us, as we are now. A lot of people will struggle, way more than they do now. He ain't a prophet as some will suggest, he's just thinking for himself and coming to the conclusion he has. His points are valid and I admire anyone who can stand up and shout from the rooftop, of the stuff people/companies/governments brush under the carpet. Even if his time-lines are inaccurate, I don't think people should disregard his claims and regard him as a crackpot. What he says in this astonishing interview is weighing up a likely outcome that will effect virtually everyone on this planet.

If you have had your head stuck in the sand for the last 30 years and know nothing about how the world works then this may be a good 'starter' documentary for you. If on the other hand you know the essentials of how the world's economy works and what is going to happen as oil runs out then you are going to have a hard job keeping your eyes open. This documentary is primarily one man being interviewed in a depressing room about a morbid subject. Yes, we know how dependent the world is on oil and the crisis the world is going to face as it runs out but Michael Rupert manages to drag the obvious into a pit of misery. What Michael offers in this film is despair and an almost religious 'the end is nigh' view on life. Perhaps someone who has had his heart broken by witnessing as much corruption as this man is not the right person to send out messages to the world as I would worry for those watching it who are more easily influenced by dark rooms, scary messages and haunting music. I don't disagree with the content, just the manner in which it is put across and the affect it may have on the gullible. The subject matter has been conveyed in a far more subjective manner by many others but if you enjoy a creepy side to your documentaries and are not trying to quit smoking right now then this might be the film for you.

this movie looks good, and plays like cinema and that perhaps for me was its undoing, apart from some of the logical an perceptual flaws in Rupperts Argument. I'm sure it all does make perfect sense to him with his Armchair analysis stance and his bachelors degree in political science but this movie does show his flaws as well as his strengths which unfortunately come across as slightly staged, with perfect lighting, Hollywood smoking (oh so cool) all edited and shot for drama!!. This doesn't help at all because it makes the message seem like fiction and it may not be, but we're not going to know from this film. When he says with a tear in his eye that everything they've said has come to pass "predictions have been completely validated by events" (from his wiki page), well look out side the window. a little too quick to pat oneself on the back perhaps. We may be heading for a collapse but it hasn't happened yet and while I sit here chomping on my processed food its not looking like it'll be here tomorrow either. Best time to say I told you so is after the fact and we're still burning oil and eating twinkies. So this film, rather than being a movie about the message of Michael Ruppert is a movie about the man who is Michael Ruppert, and I don't know that that serves his message that well. It certainly highlights his ego and his self love, but if his message is as important as he thinks it is he's done it a disservice by making himself the center of this film.

Chris Smith's documentary about an independent reporter convinced that the world as we know it is about to end is a compelling experience. Smith is simply masterful in his presentation. Collapse takes place in a dark room, with Ruppert being interviewed over three days and some archive footage and yet never gets remotely dull. Amazing cinematography, tight editing and good use of music help a lot. But the real element that grabs you is Smith's subject. Ruppert will be seen by some as a prophet and by others as a nutcase but he has a magnetism on screen that is undeniable. This ex-cop is well-spoken it is very obvious that he has given conferences and presentations as he begins to explain his theories. The main point Ruppert is trying to get across is undeniable. Our planet has finite resources which will not be able to sustain our current way of life indefinitely. But Ruppert's actual discourse will never be confused with a green activist as he veers constantly into subjects such as peak oil, politicians and banks. Where Ruppert is more questionable is when he mixes opinions with facts. Ruppert repeats that he is not a conspiracy theorist yet often acts like ones. He constantly cites people, studies and historic events that favors his point of views and ignores the rest. These are old techniques that have been used by countless gurus, theorists and leaders and Ruppert does it very effectively. This mix of truth and speculation works because the part that is truth is monumentally percussive: We as a species will not be able to live this way forever. Ruppert posits that the system is crashing down fast but you don't have to believe this to enjoy this documentary. He interprets all sorts of world events as symptoms and yet again, you can take it or leave it. He claims he has been shot at and that US presidents have taken a personal interest in him without offering any evidence and you can discard this. He makes a compelling argument that alternative energies we are exploring are not sustainable/viable in their actual form but you can choose to disagree. He lashes at the deficiencies of globalization and you could ignore that too. What you can't ignore is that change will have to happen. Smith seems confident that the audience will make up their minds about Ruppert and his theories. You do not have to share Ruppert's quasi-apocalyptic vision of the future to have a great time watching this. Despite the praise, Collapse is not without a few flaws. I wished more time had been devoted to questioning Ruppert's wilder claims. Shot at? When? Where? Who? I also thought Ruppert's angle was too focused on the US and would have loved to hear his opinion on China and a few other things. But overall, this is a nice documentary with an air of political thriller to it. Whether it is academic or objective, is left for each viewer to decide.

This film is a mixture of dubious links, interesting tidbits, important truths, questionable claims and statements of the obvious. It's an interesting watch, even if you might be sceptical of the broader predictions of Ruppert's, and I certainly am. He seems to sway from interesting observation to a need to tie them all together into one centralised conspiracy. I'm not sure it's quite as simple as he paints it. Nevertheless I enjoyed the film. But I gave this film a 3 out of 10 anyway, because the style of this documentary is a complete rip of Errol Morris. Not influenced by. Not a nod to. A direct copy of the unique style of Morris, down to the music, the late cuts...everything. But Morris' films aren't just interesting for their style. They're interesting because he chooses fascinatingly nuanced and complex personalities who speak honestly about their subject matter. Ruppert just sounds like a guy who's a little too convinced he has it all figured out, and what's everyone to seek guidance from him as to what we should do next.