One of my favorite movies is The Usual Suspects, and in that movie Kevin Spacey’s character, Verbal Kint, delivers one of my favorite lines in all of cinema. He says, “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” Now, in the context of this quote Verbal is speaking of the mysterious killer that continuously eludes the authorities, but I wonder if this line could be applied to another context? A context that doesn’t exist in movies. A context that is as real as night is dark.
In November of 1995, Newsweek ran a cover story by Kenneth Woodward entitled, “Do We Need Satan?” In his article Woodward recorded that 31% of non-evangelical Protestants say that the Devil does not exist. Similarly, he found that only 26% of Roman Catholics believe that they have been tempted by Satan. I know. I know. Statistics are statistics, and what do they really mean? Well, to be honest, I don’t know exactly what these stats are saying, but I’ll tell you this: If the Devil doesn’t exist, it is much easier to question the existence of God, and it seems that there is a large amount of people in this country that do not believe in either.
I mention this as a backdrop to the focus of this present work. Whether we like it or not movies play a huge role in directing how our society thinks. The sacred halls of learning for most Americans are found in popular culture, so when a movie like this one hits the big screen and Blockbuster shelves, I believe it is important to have an understanding of its cultural impact.
That being said the purpose of this essay is not to provide for an apologetic in defense of Satan’s existence. And I do not intend to chase the rabbit’s trail of arguing as to whether or not true demonization still happens today. Rather, for now, I would like to give a critical review of the recent film, The Exorcism of Emily Rose. In addition to giving a brief synopsis of the story, I hope to evaluate the validity of the demonization portrayed in the film as well as the exorcism rituals used from a conservative evangelical Protestant perspective. By doing so it is my goal to assess how society may or may not benefit from this piece of art.
The film is based on the true life events of a young German woman by the name of Anneliese Michel who claimed to be demonized by six demons from 1968 until her death in 1976. However, the cinematic story does deviate significantly from the historical events. In the film, Emily Rose (Anneliese), a devout Catholic teenager believes that she has come under demonic attack during her freshman year of college, and as a result is taken through a horrific series of events that eventually lead to her death. While the demonization of Emily is brutal and frightening, this movie is more of a courtroom drama than a horror film.
As the movie begins, Emily is already deceased, and her story is told through flashbacks as witnesses for the defense and prosecution testify during the trial. The defendant is Father Richard Moore, played by Tom Wilkinson. He is charged with negligent homicide, as the state holds him responsible for Emily’s failure to receive the medical attention she needed to live. Of course Father Moore saw Emily’s circumstance as a direct result of spiritual warfare, and is thus portrayed by the prosecution as a lunatic. Moore’s lawyer, Erin Bruner, played by Laura Linney, adds an interesting twist as she is a self-proclaimed Agnostic that doubts the existence of demonic forces, but one that genuinely empathizes with the conviction and passion of Father Moore. In the end she is left to question her own beliefs in light of this new life experience.
Scott Derrickson, a graduate of Biola University, an evangelical Christian university in La Mirada, CA, beautifully directs the film with obvious yet fantastic contrasts of dark and light scenes. The actors as well are to be commended for their performances, with Jennifer Carpenter deserving exceptionally high praise for her frighteningly realistic job of portraying Emily Rose’s demonic state. This is not a spinning head, make-up driven possession. Carpenter’s depiction is believable and yet horrific in every aspect. To the specifics of the possession the paper now turns.
In Scripture there are a few obvious signs so that one can recognize demonic influence, but experiences play a major role in understanding demonization. For example, it is clear from Scripture that demons may try to harm those they inhabit and those around them (Mk 5:2-5, 9:17-22; Lk 13:11-16; Mt 17:14-18). They may also exhibit knowledge of hidden things such as the case with the slave girl in Acts 16:16. Furthermore, demons tend to exhibit an intense aversion to holy things such as Jesus’ name, the reading of Scripture, or a godly presence (Mk 1:23-24). It is also possible that demoniacs display superhuman strength or a radical change in personality (Mk 5:1-15).
While not included in Scripture, glossalalia is another characteristic of demonic oppression. This is a situation where the oppressed person speaks in a language unknown to them. For instance some well known Wycliffe missionaries near the Himalayas have given the account of their two year old child loudly singing in the middle of the night in a grown man’s voice in a primitive dialect. After casting the demon out through prayer and fasting, they later learned that the house they were living in once belonged to a spiritist shaman. There are many more stories that I could tell that lend credibility to this and other extra-biblical phenomena, but the point is that while the Bible does list a number of signs, experience has played a significant role in aiding God’s people in recognizing demonic oppression.
So, how does Emily’s oppression match up to what we know about demonization? In the film Emily’s demonic attacks match our Biblical understanding with an astonishing degree of accuracy. The demons inside of her force her body into convulsions, prohibit her from eating, throw her through windows, and are greatly disturbed when holiness is around. In one scene Emily runs to a church and attempts to grab a cross from the altar. The demons as a result force her body back from the cross in an extremely distorted position leaving her sobbing on the floor. By far the most intense scene in the movie, though, is the exorcism itself. Derrickson did an extraordinary job of recreating an exorcism based on Biblical accounts. So, what should be done during an exorcism? Here is what I have learned in my studies at Dallas Seminary.
While there are some good resources out there by credible individuals from a conservative evangelical background [see: Fred Dickason’s Demon Possession and the Christian (Mood, 1987) and Mark Bubeck’s The Rise of Fallen Angels: Victory Over the Adversary Through Spiritual Renewal (Moody, 1995)], set steps or formulas are not necessary in casting out a demon. Jesus’ commands were simple and authoritative. Through our Lord the victory over Satan and his minions has been decided; however, the power of Satan is real, and this is not a situation one should enter into casually. These steps serve as a useful guideline in approaching the situation:
1. Pray to our Lord to prepare your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your actions.
2. Find Christian friends with whom to pray and possibly fast with. Exorcisms should not be conducted alone. The community of believers is powerful.
3. Speak directly and authoritatively to the demon(s). Demand through the power of Christ that they not hurt the person they are afflicting or anyone present.
4. Command the spirit or spirits to speak truthfully by the name and power of Jesus.
5. Ask the demons their names by the authority of Christ so as to confront them directly.
6. Do not become curious. Demons have extraordinary powers and would love to get you distracted from helping the person to serve your own curiosity.
7. Cite Scripture that tells of Satan’s defeat. Remind them of their fate and get them to acknowledge the victory of Christ at the cross.
8. Command them in the name of the Lord Jesus to flee to the place God has appointed to them.
9. Once the demonic influence is gone help the person to put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
For whatever reason, it has been the experience of my professors and classmates that exorcisms are battles that do not happen quickly. Our Lord said the word and demons fled, but experience tells us that we must work harder at it. It is important not to give up.
In the film Father Moore hit on nearly every one of these aspects when approaching the exorcism, but where he fell short was in his failure to command the demons not to harm Emily or anyone present. Otherwise he was authoritative in his speaking, and most importantly he spoke by the power and with the name of Jesus Christ. The authority of Christ forced the demons inside of Emily to submit to Father Moore’s requests. It was immensely uplifting to hear my Savior’s name used in one of the powerful fashions it was meant for, rather than in immature and vulgar cursing.
In my opinion this film serves as a good example of the possible oppression associated with a demonic influence and how to handle the situation. Derrickson apparently did his homework, and that is refreshing in a world gone mad with gimmicks. The Exorcism of Emily Rose shows, albeit in dramatic fashion, how a true demonic attack can be manifested, and provides a fairly accurate exorcism based on Biblical principles.
So what do we do with it? First and foremost, it must be understood that our old adversary, the Devil, typically is much more subtle than an overt demonic possession like the one portrayed in this motion picture. A dramatic depiction of demonization makes for a great movie, but perhaps – pardon the pun – the Devil is in the details. A quick search of everyday life may reveal more regarding fleshly decisions polluted by sin than blatant demonic influence. Think of the Garden of Eden. Did Satan enter into Eve’s body and force her to eat of the forbidden fruit before shoving it into her partner’s mouth? Absolutely not! The Serpent tricked Adam and Eve through craftiness and subtly. Sin entered into the world through conscious decisions which were influenced by Satan, not through unconscious actions controlled by Satan. However, our society does need to be soberly aware of the power which God has allotted to Satan for a season. We must be educated and unafraid. We must be cautious, yet never curious.
And finally, society can benefit from this piece of artwork if questions regarding God and His existence are posed at the completion of a viewing. Albeit in a very faint fashion, the movie does point toward God, but it falls extremely short of taking advantage of directing the audience toward any concrete answers concerning God and His power.
In conclusion, this paper has given a brief description of the plot of the movie, analyzed the possession, and examined the exorcism from a Biblical standpoint. But I must submit that I am not totally for certain as to what usefulness this movie may have. Through my studies I have become interested in understanding the demonic, especially since I am a counselor in training, and this movie has - if nothing else - given me an accurate glimpse into a circumstance I have never witnessed. But as for its overall usefulness, all I can say is that it is important for a soldier to know his enemies.
By watching this movie and processing it through my theological grid, I feel that I have a better understanding of at least one of the enemies that the Bible claims can do me harm (the world being the second, and myself being the third). Perhaps it could serve others in the same way. In closing, I’ll leave you with a quote from D. L. Moody, for he said it best concerning this topic when he said, “The reason many Christians fail their whole lives is this: they underestimate the power of the enemy. We have a terrible enemy with whom we must fight. Don’t let Satan fool us, or else we will be dead! This is a war. Nearly everything that surrounds us will take us away from God. We don’t leap from Egypt to the throne of God in one jump. There is a desert, a journey, and enemies in the land.”
