if you visit rottentomatoes you'll find a mixed bag of reviews of The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005). I finally watched it last night and was pleasantly surprised . . .
The film is loosely based on the events surrounding the death of Anneliese Michel and the subsequent trial (called the 'Klingenberg Case') of the Priest(s) who performed the Roman Rite of exorcism on her. This is the best use of the horror genre i've seen since The Mothman Prophecies: the techniques of the horror genre are used to disclose the fantastic and the strange inbreaking (manifestation) of the spiritual into the physical world.
Have you ever noticed how often the phrase "Do not be afraid . . ." comes up in the bible? It comes up so often because when the supernatural breaks into the narrative it's a frightening event: people get scared! This is how EOER makes use of horror. Images, sounds and actions that break the plane of the 'normal'.
The films disjunctive visual technique is carried over into the structure of the script as well. The film isn't a straight horror flick but moves between the cool rationalism of the courtroom drama and the bizarre disjunctive images of horror. Rather than a Law & Order episode on acid that needs to pick a genre there is a justification for this genre slide that serves the purpose of the narrative. There is a responsibility to "Emily's story" which is under attack. Can rationalism do justice a narrative of faith? The answer isn't easy . . . and the film plays to this hermenutical problem.
with pornography like The Hills Have Eyes and Hostel it's nice to come across a film that uses horror to ask questions rather than overstimulate our reptilian brain stems. It's even more rewarding to find a horror flick that can use the genre to ask theological questions . . .
(for some expert advise of theology and horror visit my friend and colleague Phil at the conversation) . . .
post script: The film is only strengthened by the cast. Tom Wilkinson (see Normal), Laura Linney (see the Squid and the Whale) and Campbell Scott (see The Secret Lives of Dentists) bring integrity to the film.
German filmmaker Hans-Christian Schmid -displeased with the Americanized version- is currently in post-production of Anneliese Michel's (who died in Bavaria) German story.
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