William Friedkin, director of 1973's "The
Exorcist," helmed and narrates this brief, mostly straightforward
documentary about demonic possession. He follows the case of an Italian woman
who was ministered to by Pauline Father Gabriele Amorth, chief exorcist of the
Diocese of Rome from 1986 until his death in 2016, aged 91. The film's selling
point is the fact that Friedkin obtained permission to tape the rite itself,
with predictably unsettling results. Though there's an intrusive feeling about
this apparently unique footage, it will certainly fascinate at least some
viewers. What surrounds it is a look back at William Peter Blatty's fact-based
1971 novel, the source of Friedkin's famous feature, interviews with, among
others, Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron, neurosurgeons and
psychiatrists and a sketchy portrait of Father Amorth that asserts but does not
explore his sanctity. At times, Friedkin appears slightly breathless with
enthusiasm for his own material, and Christopher Rouse's churning score also
hints at sensationalism. But overall the tone is respectful and sober minded.
Watch out for: Mature
themes, potentially disturbing images and a rude gesture.
Rated: A-II, adults and
adolescents; MPAA: not rated
© Arlington Catholic Herald 2018