Charlie Says (5 Stars)

This is the 40th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

This is a story about the Manson Family, with the emphasis on the women who followed Charles Manson. The central character is Leslie Van Houten, who's portrayed as an innocent young girl drawn into something she doesn't fully understand.

Three years after the murder of Sharon Tate, a prison psychologist is giving therapeutic sessions for the prisoners referred to as the Manson Girls. In flashbacks we see the events that led up to 9th August 1969.

The film is fascinating throughout, including a brilliant performance by Matt Smith. When the film started I was envious of the commune lifestyle of the Manson Family on the Ranch (with a capital R). It seemed so idyllic, and my primary thought was "I wish I could have been there". Free love, free drugs, peace and happiness. George Spahn, the owner of the Ranch, was given daily hand jobs in exchange for free rent. Charles Manson was so charismatic, it was easy to see why women loved him and followed him without hesitation. As the film progresses, the dark side becomes apparent. Disappointed by his lack of success in the music business, Manson became abusive to the women in the Family, but they accepted it. "Being hit by the man you love is the same as making love to him". Finally the free love bubble bursts, and Manson orders his followers to go on a killing spree.

Was Charles Manson bad from the beginning? The film doesn't answer that question, but it shows that by 1969 he was utterly evil. It's amazing that he told his followers that they weren't allowed to read anything except for the Bible. Wouldn't the Bible itself be enough to tell them they were following a false teacher? He had such weird Bible interpretations. For instance, he said that the locusts in the Book of Revelation represent the Beatles (John, Paul, George and Ringo). The girls believed nonsense like that?

50 years later, Leslie Van Houten is still in prison. According to Wikipedia, "On January 30, 2019, during her 22nd parole hearing, Van Houten was recommended for parole for the third time. But in June 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom overruled the parole board's recommendation, claiming the 69-year-old Van Houten was still a danger to society and that she had potential for future violence". This is totally inhumane.