Lat night we went to the cinema and watched 'The Rite' an American supernatural horror film based on the making of a modern exorcist. It was directed by Mikael Håfström and written by Matt Baglio and Michael Petroni. It stars Anthony Hopkins as Father Lucas and Colin O'Donoghue as Michael Kovak.


Brief background of film...
The film is based on the book The Making of a Modern Exorcist by Rome-based Matt Baglio, which was published in 2009. To research the book, Baglio participated in a seminar on exorcism where he met Father Gary Thomas, a parish priest from California, who was tasked by the local bishop in San Jose, California to become an exorcist for the diocese. Initially skeptical and reluctant, Father Gary becomes an "apprentice" to a Rome-based exorcist and his skepticism is soon replaced by the cold reality of evil and the ways it sometimes takes the form of demonic possession.


My opinion...
I liked the film, although it was quite disturbing. The whole idea of the unknown really does scare me. It was also very jumpy in places particularly when the possessed priest whacks the little girl around the face and also when the devil hand starts strangling Kovak. At this point me and Valentina literally lept out of our chairs. Makes me laugh so much every time I think about out it!


The echoed, whispered sounds used definitely added to the jumpiness of the film. The scariest bits however were when it was silent as you just know that something scary is about to happen.


The first thing I noticed about the film was the camera work. The compositions were quite interesting. The camera’s perspective peaks from around corners and from behind fences which creates a mysterious, edgy feel to it adding to the genre of horror. I also noticed how detailed and intricate the make-up designs were especially towards the end of the film used on Hopkins. The dark blue veins and intense wrinkles really gave him that possessed, demonic look.

In the film after Father Lucas shows Michael his first case of possession, he remarks to the boy, “What did you expect? Spinning heads and pea-soup?” It seemed like a reminder that it wasn't like every other exorcism movie. However when the possessions started we saw nearly every single cliche of the genre. The possessed girl uses her sexuality to try and shame the priests. She plays on their secrets and insecurities (a very good actress might I add), they use electronically lowered voices, muttering blasphemies, blank contact lenses and blotting out eyes, sinister prophecies coming true, the vomiting up of odd objects etc. It all sounds quite familiar but I guess exorcism movies wouldn't be the same without it all, although I did think that red eyed horse was quite naff.