Root of All Evil? (TV 2006)

Richard Dawkins' highly critical documentary attacks the pulsing heart of all mainstream religion- faith; with special focus on Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Contains repeated ... See full summary »

Director:

Russell Barnes

Writer:

Richard Dawkins

Stars:

Yousef Al-Khattab, Richard Dawkins, Ted Haggard

Cast

Credited cast:
Yousef Al-Khattab	...	Himself
Richard Dawkins	...	Himself
Ted Haggard	...	Himself
Richard Harries	...	Himself

Storyline

Richard Dawkins' highly critical documentary attacks the pulsing heart of all mainstream religion- faith; with special focus on Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Contains repeated references to sectorial schools as child abuse and faith as the stepping stone to terrorist activity.

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Plot Keywords:

islam | terrorist | judaism | child abuse | christianity | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 January 2006 (UK)

Also Known As:

The God Delusion

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 90 min (2 episodes)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Richard Dawkins has said that the title The Root of All Evil? was not his preferred choice, but that Channel 4 had insisted on it to create controversy. He wanted to title it "The God Delusion" after his book of the same name. Dawkins insisted that a question mark be added to the title because he does not believe that religion or anything is the root of evil.

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Quotes

Richard Dawkins: Oh, but of course, the story of Adam and Eve was only ever symbolic, wasn't it?
[in a challenging tone]
Richard Dawkins: Symbolic? So Jesus had himself tortured and executed for a symbolic sin by a nonexistent individual. Nobody - not brought up in the faith - could reach any verdict but; "barking mad".

User Reviews

A Video Summary of The God Delusion

This documentary follows scientist Richard Dawkins around the globe to find religion's varied impacts, with a special focus on America and Britain. Dawkins pulls no punches and is quick to shut down anyone in his path. Religion is not given a moment's notice to put up a shield.

For those who are already opposed to religion, this is for you. Like Bill Maher's "Religulous", this documentary follows a known anti-theist around challenging the beliefs of the faithful. It's not at all fair or balanced, which you might want in a documentary. We already know that Dawkins is against everyone he meets and is eager to make them out to look foolish. Not to say he doesn't make good points -- he does -- but religion isn't given a fair shake.

Ted Haggard is particularly lambasted. Haggard brings much of this on himself, insinuating Dawkins' arrogance while he himself comes off as high and mighty. Haggard then proceeds to kick Dawkins off his property, adding to his image as a jerk. However, in Haggard's defense, Dawkins was being arrogant (as usual) and I don't think he was given a chance to explain himself outside of a confrontational setting.

For those of you who've read "The God Delusion", this material will not be new. Dawkins covers similar ground here... the book merely expands on the points he makes. If you haven't read the book, and liked this film, I'd suggest reading it to get a fuller picture. If you didn't like the movie, you may not like the book... it's hard to consider Dawkins unbiased. Either way, I suggest going through the movie (and book) with a strong sense of skepticism.

If you can pick up a copy of this, do it. I think "Religulous" is the better of the two films, but there's certainly plenty of material here to mull over. And together, they make a great pair. Dawkins is a giant in the world of atheism, and his ideas are worth understanding, whether or not he happens to be right.