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By Patrick Samuel • September 25th, 2011
Static Mass Rating: 5/5
COLLAPSE (DVD)
Dogwoof Digital

Release Date: November 8th, 2010
Certificate (UK): E
Running Time: 82 minutes

Year of production: 2009

Director: Chris Smith
Producers: Kate Noble, Chris Smith
Starring: Michael Ruppert

It would be very easy to dismiss Michael Ruppert’s as a conspiracy theorist and think nothing more of Collapse, but as he himself says, he deals with conspiracy facts, not theories. What he believes is that the people who are running the planet are losing control and the facts which he presents paint an apocalyptic future.

Collapse

Ruppert, a Political Science graduate from UCLA, worked as a Los Angeles police officer in narcotics in the 1970’s but was forced to resign when he went on record in a case against the CIA involving drug trafficking.

After trying to expose the CIA’s activities, he received several death threats which were then followed up with attempts on his life. He then turned his attention to becoming an investigative journalist and has since then founded From The Wilderness, a publication which aims to expose government corruption.

Peak Oil is the main focus of Collapse and Ruppert outlines in great detail over the course of 82 minutes how our economies will suffer when global petroleum extraction reaches its limit and begins its decline. This concept is based on a model created by M. King Hubbert back 1956 when he predicted the demand for oil would increase as countries developed.

As demand increases, so too would output, thus eventually reaching a peak and followed by a decline thereafter. Ruppert maintains that once this decline begins, economies around the world will suffer and points to America and Britain as places which are experiencing the most notable effects already. Bankruptcy, starvation and dislocation of citizens are just some of these effects.

Drawing on information which is available to any internet user, Ruppert’s findings are terrifying and hard to ignore. While you may be a sceptic to such claims, it’s not a stretch of the imagination to wonder what will happen in a world without oil. Air, rail, road and sea transport will cease, money won’t be printed, food production will ground to a halt, law enforcement will give way to chaos, the markets will crumble, inflation will rocket and society will suffer a catastrophic breakdown.

There is hope though, for those who can live off their land. Buying up canned goods and stocking up on water might get you through the first few months, but it’s being to grow crops and have access to fresh water that will keep you alive in the long run. He also recommends holistic medication and first aid books. Rupert says:

“Forget the idea that you can have as much as you want because until mankind surrenders to the fact that it lives on a finite planet and that it must have balance with that planet, with its resources, with the animals and all the other life there can be no happiness for anything. Anything. It’s all about getting balance back.”

Director Chris Smith’s approach to the film is that of a neutral observer. What you see on screen is Ruppert being interviewed in what looks like a bunker. Smith asks the questions, leading Ruppert to talk about his personal life and experiences, together with his beliefs, research and the way forward for us. There are moments when Ruppert becomes too choked up to speak, fighting back tears and talks about counting the smiles on people’s faces when he walks his dog.

“What I hoped to reveal was … that his obsession with the collapse of industrial civilization has led to the collapse of his life. In the end, it is a character study about his obsession.”
– Chris Smith, director

Indeed, Ruppert’s obsession with the collapse of the world has led to the collapse of his own life. At the time of filming, he was no longer able to pay his rent and was awaiting eviction from his home in Culver City, California. He remains a man passionate about what he believes and what he knows.

He has visited 13 countries; lectured in eight; and was guest lecturer at more than thirty universities and colleges in the U.S. and Canada. He might be a radical thinker, but so too was Galileo and we can now look and see the world is not flat. Can’t we also look and see some the things Ruppert is talking about before it’s too late?

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Patrick Samuel

Patrick Samuel

The founder of Static Mass Emporium and one of its Editors in Chief is an emerging artist with a philosophy degree, working primarily with pastels and graphite pencils, but he also enjoys experimenting with water colours, acrylics, glass and oil paints.

Being on the autistic spectrum with Asperger’s Syndrome, he is stimulated by bold, contrasting colours, intricate details, multiple textures, and varying shades of light and dark. Patrick's work extends to sound and video, and when not drawing or painting, he can be found working on projects he shares online with his followers.

Patrick returned to drawing and painting after a prolonged break in December 2016 as part of his daily art therapy, and is now making the transition to being a full-time artist. As a spokesperson for autism awareness, he also gives talks and presentations on the benefits of creative therapy.

Static Mass is where he lives his passion for film and writing about it. A fan of film classics, documentaries and science fiction, Patrick prefers films with an impeccable way of storytelling that reflect on the human condition.

Patrick Samuel ¦ Asperger Artist

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