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"The Exorcism of Emily Rose" : My 23rd Favorite Horror Movie
Who's ready to complete another leg of our journey towards my number one favorite horror movie of all time? In our third stop along the way, we take a break from slashers (be they human or unkillable behemoth) and take a peek at an evil that is far more difficult to run away from. I present to you my 23rd favorite horror movie of all time :
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
If you really wanted to be a purist about it, you could argue that this film only halfway qualifies as a horror movie, nce fifty percent of it is better described as "courtroom drama". I have decided not
to be a purist about it, because what happens in the courtroom adds atmosphere and background to the picture, and because the scenes that do qualify as horror really get under my skin.The Exorcism of Emily Rose
is one of those aptly titled movies about a young innocent finding themselves possessed by sadistic and malevolent demons that can make the claim of being "loosely" based on true events, without ever really divulging how loosely we're talking about here. As cheap as some may find this marketing strategy, it's also a damn effective one. Just the thought that certain scenes in which Emily Rose (Dexter's Jennifer Carpenter) has her body flailed about and gruesomely twisted beyond normal limits might be in any way reflective of an actual demonic posseson definitely adds to the overall effect this film can have.However, what makes this film such a standout to me is that it invites the viewer to question whether this is a demonic posseson they're witnesng at all. Tom Wilkinson is tormented yet resolute as Father Moore, the priest who conducted Emily Rose's exorcism and has been accused of negligent homicide, because he did not seek medical care for her when she suffered extreme injury and ckness during the ritual. The prosecution argues that such care might have saved her life. The always excellent Laura Linney plays Erin Bruner, the normally sharp and confident defense lawyer who finds herself a little out of her element when she takes Father Moore's case. He insts on not only pleading not guilty, but telling Emily's story. His only hope for a defense is therefore to try to create reasonable doubt in a jury's mind by making them think there is a good chance that Emily Rose was, in fact, demonically possessed. The defense doesn't t well with the agnostic Bruner, not only because she's a little uncomfortable with the spiritual questions it raises, but because she obviously conders its success to be something of a longshot. She gives the case everything she has anyway, forming a bond with her client along the way, and believing in his innocence. She never becomes a complete believer in the otherworldly evil that is so real to him and Emily Rose, but she does become less of a consummate doubter.As the trial proceeds, we are shown the events leading up to Emily Rose's untimely death from the perspective of both the defense and the prosecution. As Father Moore recounts his veron of events, which Bruner does her best to find evidence and experts to support, we see flashbacks of Emily Rose having auditory and visual hallucinations, speaking in voices not her own, being tossed around rooms and down hallways by an invible force, and contorting into potions that seem extremely painful and next to imposble while her eyes turn pitch black. These scenes are made infinitely scarier by the fact that Ms. Carpenter is a skilled contortionist in real life, and was willing to bring that skill set to the role of Emily Rose. The prosecution counters that Emily Rose merely suffered from an extreme case of epilepsy which she didn't get the proper treatment for, an idea reinforced by their own experts and evidence, and we see the same events again, only slightly downplayed this time. Emily is shown in the throes of a seizure rather than being thrown around any rooms, and her eyes are rolled far back in her head, but are not the color of blackest night. The viewer is left to decide, the same way the jury and Erin Bruner are, which veron of events they will believe.For me, the film effectively planted the nagging questions it set out to plant. Although this film features no string of murders, no real gore, and is definitely at least as much of a drama as it is a horror movie, it sticks with me for a long while every time I watch it, and it has the ability to disturb me on levels that only the best exorcism movies can. Because to even conder the posbility that people can truly be demonically possessed at any given time is to conder that I myself could be demonically possessed at any given time. And that makes it a horror movie to me. Anyway, why shouldn't horror/dramas be embraced to the same extent as horror/comedies?The Exorcism of Emily Rose is not the first or greatest exorcism movie, but it's not a retread, either. It's a thoughtful film with a top notch cast that dares to be something a little different, offering up a unique combination of genres and chills that can't be relieved by mply checking under the bed.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
If you really wanted to be a purist about it, you could argue that this film only halfway qualifies as a horror movie, nce fifty percent of it is better described as "courtroom drama". I have decided notto be a purist about it, because what happens in the courtroom adds atmosphere and background to the picture, and because the scenes that do qualify as horror really get under my skin.The Exorcism of Emily Rose
is one of those aptly titled movies about a young innocent finding themselves possessed by sadistic and malevolent demons that can make the claim of being "loosely" based on true events, without ever really divulging how loosely we're talking about here. As cheap as some may find this marketing strategy, it's also a damn effective one. Just the thought that certain scenes in which Emily Rose (Dexter's Jennifer Carpenter) has her body flailed about and gruesomely twisted beyond normal limits might be in any way reflective of an actual demonic posseson definitely adds to the overall effect this film can have.However, what makes this film such a standout to me is that it invites the viewer to question whether this is a demonic posseson they're witnesng at all. Tom Wilkinson is tormented yet resolute as Father Moore, the priest who conducted Emily Rose's exorcism and has been accused of negligent homicide, because he did not seek medical care for her when she suffered extreme injury and ckness during the ritual. The prosecution argues that such care might have saved her life. The always excellent Laura Linney plays Erin Bruner, the normally sharp and confident defense lawyer who finds herself a little out of her element when she takes Father Moore's case. He insts on not only pleading not guilty, but telling Emily's story. His only hope for a defense is therefore to try to create reasonable doubt in a jury's mind by making them think there is a good chance that Emily Rose was, in fact, demonically possessed. The defense doesn't t well with the agnostic Bruner, not only because she's a little uncomfortable with the spiritual questions it raises, but because she obviously conders its success to be something of a longshot. She gives the case everything she has anyway, forming a bond with her client along the way, and believing in his innocence. She never becomes a complete believer in the otherworldly evil that is so real to him and Emily Rose, but she does become less of a consummate doubter.As the trial proceeds, we are shown the events leading up to Emily Rose's untimely death from the perspective of both the defense and the prosecution. As Father Moore recounts his veron of events, which Bruner does her best to find evidence and experts to support, we see flashbacks of Emily Rose having auditory and visual hallucinations, speaking in voices not her own, being tossed around rooms and down hallways by an invible force, and contorting into potions that seem extremely painful and next to imposble while her eyes turn pitch black. These scenes are made infinitely scarier by the fact that Ms. Carpenter is a skilled contortionist in real life, and was willing to bring that skill set to the role of Emily Rose. The prosecution counters that Emily Rose merely suffered from an extreme case of epilepsy which she didn't get the proper treatment for, an idea reinforced by their own experts and evidence, and we see the same events again, only slightly downplayed this time. Emily is shown in the throes of a seizure rather than being thrown around any rooms, and her eyes are rolled far back in her head, but are not the color of blackest night. The viewer is left to decide, the same way the jury and Erin Bruner are, which veron of events they will believe.For me, the film effectively planted the nagging questions it set out to plant. Although this film features no string of murders, no real gore, and is definitely at least as much of a drama as it is a horror movie, it sticks with me for a long while every time I watch it, and it has the ability to disturb me on levels that only the best exorcism movies can. Because to even conder the posbility that people can truly be demonically possessed at any given time is to conder that I myself could be demonically possessed at any given time. And that makes it a horror movie to me. Anyway, why shouldn't horror/dramas be embraced to the same extent as horror/comedies?The Exorcism of Emily Rose is not the first or greatest exorcism movie, but it's not a retread, either. It's a thoughtful film with a top notch cast that dares to be something a little different, offering up a unique combination of genres and chills that can't be relieved by mply checking under the bed.
ImmortalSidneyP
Wednesday 2/29/2012 at 09:32 AM | 90924
