The Lost Highway 02.16.06: The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Posted by Mary Markham on 02.16.2006
Possession in a spiritually depressed soceity...
As you all are beginning to realize, I am a devout fan of the horror genre. Gore, violence, blood, psychological mind games, supernatural forces, monsters, vampire, lycanthropes, serial killers….nothing I can't handle. But there is one corner of the genre that absolutely brings me to my knees with fright: POSSESSION. Perhaps it was my rigid Catholic upbringing or my curiosity with the book "The Exorcist" at a very tender age forcing my parents to hide it or just the knowledge of the documented occurrences that cause me pain. Whatever the reason, masochistically I find myself drawn to these stories. With that said I broke down and rented "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" with expectations of it being mediocre at best. I was premature in my judgment. It actually is a solid film with an impressive cast and a very intense albeit sad story.
The film is a blend of courtroom drama and horror which actually seems to work. In a series of cross examinations the director visualizes the story for us. The story of Emily is based upon the events that happened from 1970-1976 to Anneliese Michel, a German girl who was thought to have been possessed by 6 or more demonic forces. Anneliese was a devout Catholic who was diagnosed as epileptic and was hospitalized in the Psychiatric Clinic in Wurzburg for two years. During this time she began to see demonic visions or faces while she was praying. She was released and was able to finish her secondary education as well as attending the University of Wurzburg in 1973. Her condition worsened as she began to hear voices as well as the visions she was having. Being a strict Catholic she attributed these occurrences with demonic possession. After 4 years of medical treatment the Michel family turned to the church for help. They were refused the Roman Ritual of Exorcism due to the lack of evidence of Infestatio (possession) and the seriousness of the ritual itself. A local priest, Father Ernst Alt, known as a specialist in exorcism proclaimed Anneliese possessed and received approval to perform the rite of exorcism by Bishop Josef Stangl. Eleven months before she died a secret exorcism was performed weekly and all medical treatment was stopped.
"Anneliese presented what she claimed were six separate demons possessing her, including Lucifer, Cain, Judas Iscariot, Nero, Legion, and Belial. During her last exorcisms, Anneliese talked about wanting to die in order to save the souls of others. She stopped eating, rejected all medical help, and relied solely upon the priests to deliver her from the demons she believed were attacking her. Eventually, Anneliese's knees were destroyed through obsessive genuflection. She contracted pneumonia and died at age 23 from starvation (by the time of her death, she weighed only 31 kilograms or 68 lbs). The autopsy report said that her death was caused by the malnutrition and dehydration that resulted from almost a year of semi-starvation during the rites." -From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The family and priest were then sentenced to 6 months probation for manslaughter and negligence.
The movie places us in the present in an unknown location (Anytown, USA) and creates an atmosphere of tension and sympathy for the horrific situation. Jennifer Carpenter plays Emily with such force and dedication that limited special effects were used. Her ability to contort her body into unnatural poses lend to the authenticity of her performance. I found her face to be intangible, almost chameleon-like. I never could see what she truly looked like. A brilliant and beautiful actress that brings Emily to life.
The rest of the cast is nothing short of outstanding. Laura Linney in a truly pure performance as Erin Bruner the defense for Father Moore, played flawlessly by Tom Wilkinson with a rigid and repressed Campbell Scott as Ethan Thomas, the prosecutor for the people.
The interesting thing about this film is the overwhelming sadness I felt while watching it. Yes there are scenes that made me want to assume the fetal position and yes there are plenty of creepy religious overtones but honestly the isolation that I experienced outweighed my fear. It felt hopeless. Erin Bruner's character is independent and driven yet at the end of the day she goes home alone. Father Moore's absolute conviction has led him to a cold and lonely prison cell where his only companion is the truth he so vehemently defends. And Ethan Thomas's supposed Christian beliefs have forced him into a spiritual corner where it's apparent he feels trapped.
Ultimately I felt that the spirituality of humanity was on trial. The faceless millions whose belief systems have been shattered by mainstream consumerism. Whose honesty has been replaced by shrewd lifestyles. Whose souls have been diminished by technology's master plan to isolate us all from each other. Father Moore's beautiful honesty is almost archaic in today's society and god knows there isn't a whole lot of room for real spirituality. Emily was perhaps a modern day saint who suffered so we would believe again. 100 years ago she may very well have been canonized and the populace would have called it a miracle. Today we call it mental illness, acting out, over dramatic behavior etc. and we actualize it away.
This movie may never be a classic like it's predecessor "The Exorcist" but today, in 2006 it raises some serious questions about the spiritual crisis we are in and ultimately that is what moved me the most.
