David Farrier’s unsettling new documentary ‘Mister Organ’ – a film to watch through your fingers

In this age of entitled white men behaving badly, it’s common to hear the term “malignant narcissist”

Anyone who’s had the misfortune to be sucked into the orbit or one of these miscreants, (let alone been obliged to, say, sue one for copyright infringement) eventually learns that the ONLY ‘exit strategy’ is to completely disengage from their bullying, manipulation and gaslighting.

You don’t win a war with one of these psychic energy sinkholes. At best you come out on top in a skirmish and discontinue hostilities — you’ll leave the field with (at least) scratches and bite-marks. You may, as I did in that case, eke out a small victory, strike a blow, achieve a settlement, get a pay-out, whatever.

You may also retrieve some of your own reputation – which the narcissist will have smeared, comprehensively, in the course of his ‘dispute’ with you. He will have beguilied some idiots (looking at you Sean Plunket) and made even some of your friends doubt you; some of them will accuse you of somehow aiding and abetting the narcissist’s campaign against you, or suggesting you ‘added’ to the problem, drawing it out.

But in the end, let me assure you: there is nothing whatsoever to be gained from prolonging engagement with one of these characters. Nothing. Let go. Walk away.

So watching David Farrier’s excellent, disturbing documentary film ‘Mister Organ‘ last night reminded me of bygone days – not exactly warm nostalgia, but thankfully, not PTSD, either.

Who is ‘playing’ whom?

Given the power imbalance in the making of a documentary, one might think that the filmmaker has all the advantages, seeing as how they can frame the narrative, and edit what we the audience see/hear, and in what sequence. But to his credit, Farrier made it quickly apparent that the subject, [alleged] filthy liar and fantasist Michael Organ, was actually more astute. It reminded me of that adage: ‘Never argue with an idiot. They’ll drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.’

‘The hunter becomes the hunted’ is another cliche, we’ve all heard, right? It was clear, fairly early in the film, that the delusional-but-not-untalented Michael Organ was extremely psychologically invested in the serious ‘game’ he was playing — and that his goal was to turn the tables, to confuse, destabilise, bewilder, and to punish David Farrier.

Whatever Farrier hoped, Organ’s fantasy life wasn’t going to collapse like a house of cards once he was exposed as the lying manipulative bully that he appears to be. Indeed, as the film lays out in awful, creepy detail, Michael Organ appears to be clearly energised by the battle of wits, exercising his ‘power’ against his victims, endlessly spinning his [debunked] fantasies and lies, even if the battle is for an ever-diminishing pile of ashes.

I worked with someone who, just like Michael Organ is portrayed in the film, knew how to find pressure points, inventing disputes if necessary, to manipulate and throw others off-balance so he could continue to take advantage of them. I formed the view then that this type of person needs to dominate others, to define themselves as the peak of the pyramid, and to (in effect) rob others, sucking their life-energy. Sounds dramatic, I know, sorry. But you had to be there.

I also later had the misfortune to be involved in a business purchase where the vendor turned out to be very much a bully, a liar and a narcissist — oppressing his family and employees with threats, broken promises, outbursts of nasty hot anger. And lies of course. Endless lies

Farrier’s film, cataloguing as it does Michael Organ’s victims, and those too afraid (justifiably, from experience) to speak out against Organ is horrifying. Honestly, these types get away with so much, for so long.

All of which is to say: GO — Go and see David Farrier’s movie ‘Mister Organ‘. I highly recommend it. It is an exceptional piece of documentary filming. I saw it last night and woke up feeling anxious for Farrier this morning.

No way is this over. Sorry.

‘Mister Organ‘, the film, is probably only Part Two of the tale of Michael Organ and David Farrier. (Part One being his series of articles about Organ’s crazed wheel clamping at Bashford Antiques hosted over at The Spinoff: The incredibly weird tale behind the Bashford Antiques clamping story.)

The psychic attention boost that this film and attendant publicity will give Michael Organ will, I predict, stimulate and energise him. It’ll top-up what someone in the film called the ‘demonic’ side of Michael Organ. It will provoke him. God knows how it will end.

Poor David.

– P

Facts are stated to the best of my knowledge and commentary is my honest opinion. Corrections or clarifications are always welcome by email. Comments are open, but may be moderated.
– Best wishes, Peter Aranyi