My Take on the Movies - EMILY ROSE
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) recently opened in theaters, and quickly became the number one movie at the box office. It is a terrifying tale of the supernatural, every bit as shocking as the original The Exorcist (1973), but perhaps more so because it is allegedly based on a true story.
Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter) is a 19-year-old college student who does battle with Lucifer in all his evil manifestations, and loses. Her distressing story is told in horrific detail in the courtroom by her family physician (Mary Black), by her faithful boyfriend (Joshua Close), an eyewitness to the possession, and by her parish priest, Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson) who is charged with her death for his role in the failed exorcism.
The astute attorney representing Father Moore is played with precision by Laura Linney; her slightly less effective adversary is played by Campbell Scott. The part of Judge Brewer is played by Mary Beth Hurt (The Age of Innocence – 1993). Duncan Fraser is Dr. Cartwright (a reluctant participant in the exorcism) who is so convincingly shaken that it made me nervous. There are no “stars” here, but the execution of the screenplay itself literally shines, despite the dreariness of the surrounding landscape.
Emily Rose is not for the easily frightened. Its vivid images are extremely disturbing; the various sounds associated with the demons are immensely startling. At several junctures, not only did I visibly flinch, but my legs, arms, and spine began to tingle with apprehension.
The story is the classic battle between good and evil, updated with overtones of modern medicine versus ancient faith. The undying religious belief of the defendant is strongly contrasted against the agnosticism of his defense counsel, even as they experience parallel nocturnal disturbances. It never becomes clear whether the doctors’ diagnosis of “psychotic epileptic disorder” is erroneous, whether it is merely the prescription they force upon Emily that is inadequate, or whether she actually is possessed and therefore beyond medical science.
There is so much religious dogma packed into a relatively short work that it is hard to absorb it all. There are theories surrounding the hour selected by the demons for Emily’s possession (3:00 a.m.), and its relation to the Holy Trinity; there are references to the stigmata, either real or self-inflicted; and there is the “speaking in tongues” that the spirit utilizes, convincingly, I might add.
The Virgin Mary purportedly asserts in a vision that through Emily, “many will come to see that the realm of the spirit is real.” Whether one is a died-in-the-wool Catholic or an acknowledged atheist, The Exorcism of Emily Rose presents food for thought. You don’t have to believe, but in my opinion it will be worth your while to see this film.
[© 09/20/2005]
Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter) is a 19-year-old college student who does battle with Lucifer in all his evil manifestations, and loses. Her distressing story is told in horrific detail in the courtroom by her family physician (Mary Black), by her faithful boyfriend (Joshua Close), an eyewitness to the possession, and by her parish priest, Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson) who is charged with her death for his role in the failed exorcism.
The astute attorney representing Father Moore is played with precision by Laura Linney; her slightly less effective adversary is played by Campbell Scott. The part of Judge Brewer is played by Mary Beth Hurt (The Age of Innocence – 1993). Duncan Fraser is Dr. Cartwright (a reluctant participant in the exorcism) who is so convincingly shaken that it made me nervous. There are no “stars” here, but the execution of the screenplay itself literally shines, despite the dreariness of the surrounding landscape.
Emily Rose is not for the easily frightened. Its vivid images are extremely disturbing; the various sounds associated with the demons are immensely startling. At several junctures, not only did I visibly flinch, but my legs, arms, and spine began to tingle with apprehension.
The story is the classic battle between good and evil, updated with overtones of modern medicine versus ancient faith. The undying religious belief of the defendant is strongly contrasted against the agnosticism of his defense counsel, even as they experience parallel nocturnal disturbances. It never becomes clear whether the doctors’ diagnosis of “psychotic epileptic disorder” is erroneous, whether it is merely the prescription they force upon Emily that is inadequate, or whether she actually is possessed and therefore beyond medical science.
There is so much religious dogma packed into a relatively short work that it is hard to absorb it all. There are theories surrounding the hour selected by the demons for Emily’s possession (3:00 a.m.), and its relation to the Holy Trinity; there are references to the stigmata, either real or self-inflicted; and there is the “speaking in tongues” that the spirit utilizes, convincingly, I might add.
The Virgin Mary purportedly asserts in a vision that through Emily, “many will come to see that the realm of the spirit is real.” Whether one is a died-in-the-wool Catholic or an acknowledged atheist, The Exorcism of Emily Rose presents food for thought. You don’t have to believe, but in my opinion it will be worth your while to see this film.
[© 09/20/2005]
posted by A. L. "Toni" Anderson at 12:16 AM
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