Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
Jennifer Carpenter as Emily Rose. - CONTRIBUTED
THE EXORCISM of Emily Rose is an interesting and, for the faint of heart (like myself), scary film. Indeed, even some of those made of sturdier stuff might find the idea of demon possession eerie enough.
The film is directed by Scott Derrickson, who co-writes the script with Paul Harris Boardman. Based on a true story, the film does not set itself up to be any kind of mystery, but instead attempts to put forward the possibility of possession as real. Emily Rose's debated exorcism is therefore used as the ground upon which it attempts to build.
It presents not so much a battle between good and evil as a battle between science and faith. It has two protagonists. The first, Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson), is a consistent believer who is convinced of the presence of the devil. However, Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) is initially filled with doubt.
The film therefore follows Bruner's move from complete agnosticism to accepting possibilities and it attempts to take us with her. In doing so, it illustrates the aspects of Emily Rose's story that could not have been shown in court and leaves it up to the audience to decide whether or not they believe. Additionally, the story winds its way between the present and the past, and is both a courtroom drama and an exploration of the supernatural.
BEAT BACK REASON
The Exorcism of Emily Rose comes at an interesting time in America's history, when Christian fundamentalism (not necessarily related to the Bible itself) is used to beat back reason and create demons out of all heathens. It is a story that can easily find purchase as America currently attempts to purge itself of demons from within.
It is a well crafted flick for its genre. However, it leaves out all of the extremely gory things, the crawling on walls, hanging upside down or the 360 degree neck-turn. As such, it avoids many of the hackneyed clichés which made flicks like The Exorcist: The Beginning more laughable than scary.
DEEMED POSSESSED
Even so, as the film progresses one has to ask whether or not if it rained every time one went outdoors, if you, too, wouldn't become crazy enough to be deemed possessed.
So, though it uses much graphics, which are never as
surprising after the first shock, The Exorcism of Emily Rose depends heavily on slick editing, especially sound editing. The film is filled with eerie sounds that are designed to keep the pulse racing and it is almost always dark, as one would expect from such a flick. The flick is also well directed and the camera work is good.
Both Linney and Wilkinson give very good, convincing performances. However, though the story attempts to push the issue of belief, there is much doubt about how convincing a story it really is. So, with direction and editing combined, The Exorcism of Emily Rose may simply scare the believer into you.
