Released in 2013, “After Earth” was to be an event with an exceptional collaboration between the brilliant M. Night Shyamalan and star Will Smith. Unfortunately, in addition to a mixed critical response, the film has caused controversy over its inspiration.
after-earth : the Smith family reunited once again
Inspired by a docu-fiction named I shouldn’t be aliveWill Smith sets up an ambitious project entitled after-earth. Via his production company Overbrook Entertainment, he then contacted M. Night Shyamalan, a brilliant director who distinguished himself in the early 2000s. Present in the cast, he also hired his own son Jaden Smith, with whom he had already work on In search of happiness.
after-earth takes place in a future world where environmental degradation has forced Earthlings to leave their planet. 1000 years later, a father and his son land on an Earth that has become wild and hostile. To survive, they will have to work together at all costs.
With a Will Smith still bankable at that time, after-earth certainly saved the furniture on the commercial level (243 million dollars collected at the box office, for a budget of 130 million). But, critically, the press was pleased to destroy the film. Above all, he was accused of advocating Scientology.
Is the discourse of the film that of Scientology?
As a reminder, this religion, considered a sect, has been very controversial since its establishment in 1952 by Ron L. Hubbard. This belief is based on the fact that human beings have forgotten their true nature. Indeed, this one would actually be immortal. According to some media, after-earth would therefore have several symbols of a Scientological order. For starters, there would be the concept of fear. The latter is a way for the Ursas, extraterrestrial creatures whose objective is to exterminate humans, to locate them.
As journalist Manohla Dargis writes in the New York Times, fear is, according to the writings of Hubbard, a harmful emotion for the human beingbecause it prevents him from rising spiritually:
Scientology students might pick up on these hints, because overcoming fear is a very developed theme in Dianetics.
Confusing Ideas
Moreover, the character of Will Smith is one of the best soldiers to stand up to the Ursas, because he managed to suppress all fear deep inside him. Throughout the film, his son is learning to follow in his footsteps. Since progression and improvement are the very purpose of Scientology, Shyamalan’s film therefore sowed doubt.
On the other hand, auditing is the best way to combat fear in after-earth. According to vulnerabilitythis idea would be inspired, here too, by the ideology of Scientology.
When an injured Cypher realizes he can’t leave their spaceship, it’s his son who must go out to seek help in this dangerous world that Earth has become. To help his son overcome his fear and “find his inner peace”, Cypher performs the auditing technique on him.
Indeed, in Scientology, a listener can manage to help his neighbor to question his existence. through repeated questions.
Big Will, an avid practitioner of Scientology?
If in Hollywood, celebrities such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta have never hidden their attachment to these practices, other stars have also been criticized for adhering to Scientology. Among them, therefore, Will Smith. The fact that he is the driving force behind the projectafter-earth would confirm that he is therefore a follower of Scientology, according to his detractors.
Its presence as well as its importance in the blockbuster would thus only confirm it. The uniform he wears is reminiscent of that of the Sea Org, the organization that brings together the followers of this religion.
Although he has always denied his membership in Scientology, after-earth therefore did not dispel doubts about Will Smith’s alleged beliefs.
