manson comes across as being quite retarded. granted theres never been any evidence that he actually comitted those murders, but after watching this it clear that the reason he's locked up is because he's got bats in the belfry. also the albinio nazi that's interviewing him doesn't help matters by goading him on during the whole interview.
shareManson's actually pretty intelligent, but not book smart. Something that Manson (and the film maker) apparently has never realized is that if you tell someone to murder someone and they do that, you're part of a conspiracy to commit murder. John Gotti, for example, didn't have to actually kill anyone, but he told people to kill for him. All of the Family members who were convicted for the Tate-LaBianca murders have stated that these were his orders - although it may have been indirect orders. The LaBiancas are a more direct example - Manson tied the LaBiancas up.
Manson does come off as having some form of a mental illness. There's probably no way anyone who could have gone through his childhood without having some form of mental illness.
We don't know if he tied anyone up, actually.
And there is no such thing as an indirect order to kill.