SXSW 2009: NEW WORLD ORDER Review

By delving into the personal lives of conspiracy theorists and allowing them to speak for themselves, New World Order asks the viewer to look at them as actual human beings instead of the nutjobs they sometimes appear to be. Filmmakers Luke Meyer and Andrew Neel previously followed fantasy role-playing gamers in Darkon, and New World Order is cut from the same cloth: skillfully assembled and surprisingly absorbing.

The documentary will have its world premiere at South by Southwest tomorrow, March 13, and will screen again on Tuesday, March 17, before premiering on demand (via various cable and satellite systems in the US) on IFC Free on April 16, 2009.

I was initially very resistant to the subject matter. Radio talk show host Alex Jones stridently screams into a microphone in Austin, Texas, and I rolled my eyes. College student Luke Rudowski talks quietly and earnestly in Brooklyn, New York, and I shook my head. They're both peddling conspiracy theories about JFK, 9/11, and the Bilderberg group, a secret, elite cabal that supposedly controls the world. Jones preaches the gospel via his radio show and films, while disciples like Rudowski spread the word on street corners.

Turkish-Irish activist Timucin Leflef, who, like Jones, makes films about his theories, talks about doing nothing but tracking the Bilderbergs so he can expose them and "save the world." Former police officer Jack McLamb and his wife live in a rural 350-family community in the mountains of Idaho, preparing for the collapse of American civilization while broadcasting and writing about the "New World Order" conspiracy.

Florida property manager Mike Edgarton picks up a megaphone and debates the 9/11 "inside job." He says, "I don't give a fuck if we landed on the moon or not," but he wants to see the conspirators put behind bars or put to death. Seth Jackson feels that God made it possible for him to see the devastation wreaked by Hurrican Katrina so that it could affect his life. He left Arkansas to become a relief aid worker in Biloxi, Mississippi, and wants to 'wake people up' to the "global elite that runs this country."

The relentless conspiracy talk grows wearisome if you're not a True Believer. Do these folks really talk about nothing else? Surely they must, even if it's not included in the film. They appear to see conspiracies in everything: a fire alarm goes off at a motel in the early morning, just before Alex Jones is scheduled to call in to another radio show, and Jones screams conspiracy. Really? Couldn't he call in a few minutes later? 'We better leave, it's dangerous here now.' Really? And who decided that screaming through a megaphone at passing cars is the best way to communicate genuine concerns?

Feathers do get ruffled. On the streets of New Orleans, mild-mannered aid worker Jackson confronts a man who says he was working at the Pentagon on 9/11. "Ladies and gentlemen of the audience, are you kidding me?" The man asks Jackson, 'Is this really how you want to be spending your life?' The two eventually talk to a draw.

There's no doubt about the sincerity of the subjects in New World Order. They have a real passion for what they're doing, and always speak with conviction, equal to or exceeding a strongly-felt religious fervor. And they've put their money where their mouth is; no one appears to be profiting unduly from their endeavors, though I wondered how they managed to do so much traveling.

In spite of my personal feelings about the theories expressed, New World Order proves to be a fascinating documentary. The filmmakers present a balanced picture without imposing judgment. It could be argued that they cheat a little by including footage like nightvision views of Iraq War sniper killings and the collapse of the Twin Towers; those moments are so emotionally charged that they're certain to provoke a reaction. But then the 9/11 street protest scenes start rolling and really let things fly as the theorists come face to face with New Yorkers. It's terrific stuff.

You still might roll your eyes or shake your head, but it's hard to resist watching.