The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Just another horror movie you would think… Possibly, but since it’s based on a true story, according to director Scott Derrickson (Urban Legends: Final Cut), there’s supposed to be more to it than just imagination. It turns out that the movie is partially based on a true story. The place, the characters and a part of the plot were actually modified to contribute in forming a suitable film environment, and most importantly to remove the shock effect some people might experience while watching; it was rated PG-13 for “thematic material including frightening sequences and disturbing images”. The Exorcist (1973), was the latest major release about the subject, and still shown on TV today.
Some Trivia:
- The Exorcism of Emily Rose may be the first court room horror movie.
- The Vatican has updated in 1999, the guide to exorcism in the Roman Catholic Church
- Requiem, a movie by German director Hans-Christian Schmid and to be released late 2005, tells the original story of the Anneliese Michel, the girl in question, keeping the story closer to reality than to a horror movie.
The plot: a 19-year old girl, Emily Rose, believes she’s possessed by an extraordinary spirit after experiencing several abnormal activities (what science recognized as a mix of epilepsy and psychoses). She talks languages she never supposedly learned and sees demons everywhere. The archdiocese concludes she’s possessed by a demon and approves an exorcism ritual on the girl, performed by Father Moore, the parish priest. The girl is killed in the process, the father charged with attempted murder. His lawyer, Erin Bruner, career-targeted and assigned by the parish, must defend him and prevent a conviction.
The cast: it’s not an all-star movie that’s for sure, but the cast performs well enough. I recognized Laura Linney (in the role of Erin Bruner) from Mystic River and Tom Wilkinson (in the role of Father Moore) from The Patriot. As for the rest of the cast, well mostly unknown; I note that Jennifer Carpenter (in the role Emily Rose) performs extremely well for a first major appearance that is… Well I never heard of her before.
Duality between science and faith is what the movie is all about: some would believe that the girl was a victim of demonic possession, others support the scientific approach stating that she refused to follow a proper medical treatment which could have cured her. More info on The Official Web Site