The Devil and Father Amarth
Forty five years after he filmed The Exorcist the director behind one of the most terrifying movies has shot a real exorcism.
When William Friedkin shot The Exorcist in 1973 he had never actually seen an exorcism, though even at the time he believed in the power of the rite which is designed to evict demons or other evil spirits from a ‘possessed’ person.
Now four decades on he’s been given the rare chance to film an actual exorcism carried out by Father Gabriele Amorth, who regularly performs them.
The director of The Exorcist was invited to watch the Italian priest at work.
The result is the documentary The Devil and Father Amorth, which was shown at the Venice Film Festival and is out April 20.
It shows Father Amorth and a woman in battle after an introduction explains 500,000 people a year are exorcised in Italy.
Father Amorth sprinkles Holy Water and begins reciting verses, in Italian and in Latin. Suddenly, the woman begins to shake and roar.
The ‘demon’ shouts “I am Satan” and invites the priest to leave. He continues his prayer, determined.
“How many demons are inside you?” he asks. “89!” she replies. The struggle continues until Amorth wins, and she smiles in relief.
This is just a summary of what happened, a quick look, but Friedkin showed his footage to scientists to see what they made of it.
The two neurosurgeons were quick to give their views, with one saying it’s “amazing” and reminds her of Delirium. The girl’s voice also strikes a chord, as one says “it seems to come from somewhere else.”
“It’s like an animal in a cage,” says the other.
Speaking at the festival Friedkin said it was the same for him.
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