"Waiting for John" is a must-see for any viewer interested in the phenomenon of cargo cults. This interesting documentary visits the island of Tanna, where there are still people hoping and praying for the return of the Americans, who are supposed to shower them with blessings both material and spiritual.
Thankfully the documentary does not adopt a jocular or a condescending tone. This is quite refreshing, since a lot of other works on the subject can be summarized as "Let's all laugh at some primitive foreigners doing batsh*t crazy things". Instead "Waiting for John" goes out of its way to paint the backdrop against which the cult (or perhaps cults, plural) originated. It turns out that there is nothing particularly merry about the historical context in question. We are dealing with an ancient and isolated culture suddenly confronted with a different culture far superior in power, ambition and technological prowess. Fearing, quite rightly, for a full extinction of their identity, the inhabitants of these ancient lands grab at the first chance of liberation they encounter ; but due to a lack of wider understanding they get hold of the wrong end of the stick. The resulting creed is indeed as absurd as anything dreamed up by Monty Python, but its absurdity is rooted in upheaval, dispossession and alienation.
Through a series of interviews the documentary also introduces the adherents of the cargo cult, who are dwindling in number, as full individuals with their own hopes, dreams and concerns. Near the end it is hard not to feel a deep pity for the people involved, all of whom are still reeling under the impact of a massive collective injury sustained some two centuries ago. It is like watching drowning people bobbing up amidst the detritus of a shipwreck and clutching at anything that will keep them afloat : tables, chairs, coffins. Even part of a grand piano would do.
Although "Waiting for John" does not belabor the point, it raises questions about the unlovely alliance between organized religion and colonialism. Surely there's something deeply, fundamentally wrong with missionary work aimed mainly at intimidating inoffensive people, erasing their way of life and turning them into obedient slaves ?
One wonders what would happen if some unkind person landed on the island, pretended to be an American and showered the inhabitants with useful gifts. Would this prolong the belief system, causing it to blossom once again ? Probably not in the long run, since not even the most ingenious of pranksters would be able to give the inhabitants what they want most - to turn back the clock for a couple of centuries.
