The Exorcism of Emily-Rose,anyone see this movie,what's your opinion of the events depicted?

Question

Watched this movie last week.Just want to hear what anyone else who saw it thought of it.I'm not sure what to make of it.

Answer 1

I like the movie as a movie. However the real fact of the situation are so different - the film can only be said to be very loosely based on fact.
Anneliese Michel (September 21, 1952 – July 1, 1976) was a Catholic woman from Germany who believed she was possessed by six or more demons and subsequently underwent an exorcism.Anneliese experienced severe psychiatric disturbances from the age of 16 to her death at age 23. Although the faith-based treatment was performed at her own request, the hospitalization and intravenous feeding could have saved her life. Both the priests who performed the exorcism and her parents were convicted of manslaughter. The Catholic Church, which had authorized the exorcism, reversed itself and declared it a case of mental illness; however, many people believe she was genuinely possessed by demons, and her gravesite is a destination for pilgrims to this day.
The film significantly deviates from the real-world events (for example, the film is set in the United States and Anneliese was renamed Emily Rose and the court case was shown with a substantially different outcome). The German-language film Requiem (2006) by Hans-Christian Schmid holds a much truer account of the real-life events.
As to how 'true' this case was as opposed to being a mental illness, I don't know. However even 'The Ammityville Horror' a well known hoax had a germ of truth behind it and the house still has been the scene of some disturbances, admittedly not as dramatic as the book and subsequent film. I know it sounds strange, but I think there may well be some truth in this case, as well.

Answer 2

The film is based on the true story of Anneliese Michel, a young Catholic woman from Germany. Anneliese, who was born in 1952, was brought up drinking holy water and being woken in the night to pray. In 1968 she began shaking and could not control her body. A neurologist diagnosed her with 'grand mal' epilepsy and she was treated in hospital. Soon after, Anneliese started seeing devilish grimaces as she prayed. She then began to hear voices saying she would 'stew in hell' and told doctors 'demons' were giving her orders. In summer 1973, her parents asked for an exorcism. Their requests were rejected, but Anneliese’s condition deteriorated and she could be heard screaming for hours, breaking crucifixes, destroying paintings of Jesus and pulling apart rosaries. She also mutilated herself. In September 1975, the Bishop of Wurzburg, Josef Stangl, ordered two priests to perform 'The Great Exorcism' on Anneliese to save her from possession by demons. From September 1975 until July 1976, one or two exorcism sessions were held each week. Her attacks were so strong she had to be held down by three men, or chained up. For several weeks she refused all food. On the last day of the exorcism, 30 June, 1976, she was suffering from a high fever and was emaciated. She was exhausted and unable to genuflect, so her parents stood in and helped her through the motions. 'Beg for absolution' was the last thing she said to the exorcists. To her mother, she said, 'Mother, I’m afraid.' Forensic evidence showed Anneliese had starved to death. And from my research, I am led to believe that she may have also suffered from schizophrenia. My opinion is that the movie is just another way for those in Hollywood to make more money. P.S - Demons do not exist.

Answer 3

It s a work of fiction based on court transcripts from the trial of a priest for the murder (manslaughter) of Emily Rose. It was a good movie if you don't try to believe it as gospel truth. Demonic Possession is likely nothing more than mis-diagnosed Schizophrenia which can have all the "classic christian possession signs" such as speaking in tongues Babbling sounds without coherence (who anywhere even knows how to translate "tongues"?) and other neurological symptoms such as posturing. It is even more likely that a tumour in the brain can cause actions that mimick all of the accepted possession symptoms. One key thing regarding possession that seems to prove that it isn't as the church says is that possession is mostly a christian phenomenon and that it is mostly the catholics who are the only ones capable of exorcising such beasts... why in the world would an ancient demon from the dawn of time have anything to fear from a few catholic words?! Jesus means nothing to this demon (who of course isn't likely to be inhabiting a human anyway). but after saying all that, I really do enjoy this type of story

Answer 4

First, to explain exorcism in plain psychological terms, I recommend the book "Healing" by Francis MacNutt (edition 1999 or later). Basically there are four types of healing prayer, for the memories in the mind, sickness/injury in the body, collective spiritual ills/sins, and spiritual oppression (which is common) or possession (which is rare). Exorcism is basically the spiritual treatment or procedure for removing negative energy demons that are invading someone's spiritual space.

Demonic oppression or possession is the spiritual equivalent of bacteria being attracted to an open wound in the soul that becomes infected. But instead of a physical wound, it is an emotional wound in the soul or negative thought or memory in the mind; instead of physical bacteria it is caused by negative energy "demons" (which I call "spiritual viruses"); and instead of a purely physical infection, it can manifest as an addiction, mood disorder, chronic anger, even schizophrenia or multiple personalities in cases where these are caused by demonic spirits invading the host's spiritual space and/or body.

Not all physical, mental or emotional illness can or should be treated by exorcism or healing prayer, which is the point of the author, that the same way we need medicine to treat physical illness, and therapy for the mind, we need to apply spiritual treatment through healing prayer when there is sickness in the spirit; and in extreme cases exorcism prayer when outside negative energies, called demons, are causing the problem.

In the movie about Emily Rose, what the message meant to me is that since the general public has not yet fully understood the spiritual realm, where both demonic and angelic influences can affect human reality, Emily's case was used to bring this issue to public light, so people could study, learn and teach from it, and come to a better if not complete understanding. Not until her case was brought to court, and witness testimony given, was her issue documented in a format for public research and study.

Had her case never happened, had she lived and been treated or healed, or taken medicine to prolong her life and suppress the symptoms with or without healing the root cause, you and I would not be having this conversation right now, and sharing our ideas with others. But because she accepted on faith the vision that her death would lead to a better understanding of life and spiritual truth about the world, she agreed to keep suffering the possession even to the point of death. And indeed, the aftermath led to the charges, the courtroom testimonies, the documented case study, and eventually the movie about the case.

So Emily's suffering and death did bring about circumstances so that others can be made aware of these issues, discuss them openly, and either uncover past or current research, or promote further scientific study of the link between spiritual sickness and treatment of related mental conditions.

I believe that if spiritual sickness can be treated and cured through prayer and therapy, this process can be scientifically measured, documented, and proven using the technology we have today. The same way the first doctor theorized that "invisible" bacteria were killing patients unless surgeons washed their hands, this theory was first ridiculed until microscopes were later invented which proved bacteria actually exist. Today we have nanotechnology which can measure the finest energy particles, and MRIs that can monitor brain activity.

So in the case of spiritual "viruses" or demons, more people would understand these conditions are real, if the negative energy could be measured before and after a mentally ill patient is treated for schizophrenic voices or multiple personalities, to document the change in energy or brain chemistry. So that is the future I see coming from this type of research -- proof of the negative energy "demons" that cause sickness of the spirit, mind or body, and the most effective procedures for treating or healing these, which can also heal other related mental, emotional, and physical illlnesses.

Answer 5

I saw the movie and thought it was very well written and since being based on a true story I thought it was great.

Answer 6

I followed the story before it became a movie. Thought they took some dramatic license it was a true story and i believed she was taken over by something evil

Answer 7

I haven't seen it yet, but I know a friend who has. She's totally freaked out by it to this day (she saw it a while back). I'm not freaked out by exorcist type movies because I don't really believe in them.....

Answer 8

i liked the movie i thought the events were somewhat true. being hollywood though they probably exaggerated the events to some extent. but i really liked the movie.

Answer 9

GREAT movie. Based on a true story you know. Very well done...not Linda Blair pea soupish at all.

I think it's possible, but I also know it's unlikely.

Answer 10

Cool movie. Just a movie.