Bis nichts mehr bleibt (2010 TV Movie) User Reviews

Scientology - a history of abuse and control

[DiscoViolento · 8/10 · 4 December 2010]

Frank Reiners' life isn't going too well. He is torn between taking care of his daughter while his wife Gine is working and his architecture studies. On top of that, Gine's parents have high expectations of their daughter's life and in their eyes, Frank is a bit of a loser.

But when Frank discovers Scientology everything changes.

In Bis nichts mehr bleibt we follow the story from two different points in time. One is a court scenario where Frank is fighting for custody of his daughter; the other tells the story from the beginning.

Even though this film is based on a specific case, the scenario in itself isn't specific at all. Thousands of people have gone through this personal bankruptcy and disconnection from their loved ones. In Germany the fight has been long between government and the "church" and it wasn't a surprise that the org opposed the release of this film, claiming it's intolerant.

I strongly recommend this emotional journey through what used to be known as a cult. Watch this film and ask yourselves - can we allow this to happen over and over again?

Extremely well done insight into Scientology and a family drawn into the abyss

[Horst_In_Translation · 8/10 · 23 August 2017]

"Bis nichts mehr bleibt" or "Until Nothing Remains" or "Till Faith Do Us Part" is a German small screen movie from 2010. It was made by Niki Stein, a highly prolific German television filmmaker and it runs for pretty much exactly 1.5 hours. The cast includes several names that are certainly known to big German film buffs, actually really many. The one who perhaps gave the best performance here though was Felix Klare and he isn't too famous compared to some of the other cast members. But it is not just a well-acted film, it is also really well-written. I would not be surprised if Stein received anonymous threats after the film is released because it really is ruthless when it comes to depicting the practices by Scientology, for example how a young woman who is really nothing extraordinary at all keeps rising higher and higher in the hierarchy thanks to her wealthy parents' money and all the codes and title used in this film were pretty funny actually if it wasn't meant in a serious way.

One of the best things about the film is that it really almost never feels for the sake of dramatic purpose, but always does a fine job in telling a story. The male protagonist may be a bit of a loser, but the title refers to him and not just his studies, but also to his wife and also his daughter that is really at the very center of the struggles. So depicting the Scientology methods is one thing that makes the film interesting, but it probably wouldn't have worked half as well with the family in the center of it all and how it unfolded more and more into a disastrous situation. The courtroom scenes were a welcome inclusion as well and many German films struggle a lot when it comes to jumps in time. It also wasn't a problem that we knew the final scenario with the man out (is he?) and the woman in deeper than ever right away as watching the process that leads to this situation was very interesting nonetheless. I also liked how Scientology was still in the man's head after all they did to him and how he was brainwashed so hard that it felt difficult for him to really distance himself from the organization. And finally, the ending that is as depressing and realistic as the title suggests. There is no ambition to go out on feel-good closure at all, something many films from Germany do in an unrealistic and cringeworty fashion I must say. So in short, I liked this film at least as much as I did when watching it for the first time years ago. Big thumbs-up and a definite contender for best film of the career for everybody working on it, not just in front of the camera. And also a definite contender for Best German film of 2010. The fact that it's a TV movie means nothing negative in this case. I highly recommend the watch.

Been there,...

[bobbyb-49040 · 10/10 · 6 March 2021]

I had a difficult time watching this movie. I had to rely on the English subtitles, which was fine, big it was the plot that brought me back to my 2 years involvement in this greedy and inhuman cult. Step by step the plug portrayed what I went through, endured,... the abuse and mind indoctrination and total complete control of someone's life, right from the beginning. ...and it is only all about every penny they can extract out of their converts to pay for scientology's 1/4 built 'bridge to total freedom,' which can cost millions and us 'unfinished' at that, or that ever available staff contract sign-up, both of which leave their believers handing over everything in time and money and freedom that they possess. Those watching this movie will see this cult constantly reiterate Hubbard's blatant lies and deceit, such as a common Hubbard quote of, "in scientology, what is true is true, only if is true for you" is 100% a complete lie, since in scientology what is true for you is ONLY what Hubbard and his minions yell you is true, nothing else. The saddest part of this movie is the cults horrible insistence that family members leaving the neural brainwashing network cannot be communicated to in any way, including children remaining behind in a lost land of indifference towards children in the cult (because they cannot produce anything, any money or covert anyone). Having lived and survived their lies and mind bending nonsense, I can 100% vouch for the accuracy if thus movie; its sadly very, very accurate in its screenplay.