A lawyer (Laura Linney) defends a priest (Tom Wilkinson) on trial for negligence in the death of Emily (Jennifer Carpenter), a college student who died after a failed exorcism. The priest maintains she was experiencing possession, while the prosecution says she had a serious medical condition.

CRITIQUE

The Devil has always been a useful villain in horror films and has never failed to inspire the most fear when possessing an innocent soul. Obviously, The Exorcist is the most famous example (and still probably the scariest film ever), but for those who are most frightened by real life events, The Exorcism of Emily Rose will scare as well. However you feel about the themes covered, this film will definitely prompt a lot of thought. Exploring intriguing themes intelligently and mostly without heavy-handedness, The Exorcism of Emily Rose also benefits from an excellent cast.

The enormous glut of horror films crowding multiplexes recently (and surely in the near future) doesn’t bode well for the genre as a whole, as most aren’t of high quality. However, when one appears that is worth seeking out, it is a small pleasure for a film fan. The Exorcism of Emily Rose is one of those. Horror film fanatics should be warned that this is a blend of courtroom drama and horror, not pure horror. This is exactly the thing that makes this film unique and fresh. The possession scenes are quite frightening, don’t get me wrong, but they are structured as flashbacks within the courtroom story. (The only bits of stiffness are most of the moments where Linney’s character is experiencing scares herself.) This structure is ingenious, as it allows for a replaying of most of those same possession scenes again but in a way that supports the medical point of view. Everything down to the lighting is changed in these replayings to really keep the audience wondering what they believe.

This leads me to the way the film is most successful: it’s treating of the theme of religion vs. science. This is obviously a complex debate that will probably never be resolved but when films can prompt thought about this theme or issue, the result can be interesting. Plenty of convincing information is given within some well-written dialogue to support both sides of the issue. Scott Derrickson’s more than competent direction seems to lean toward the supernatural to me, but it is a testament to the script that other viewers may feel the other way. Camera work and production values all contribute to the feeling of an evenhandedness.

The cast here is the best thing about the film, however. Laura Linney has the consistent greatness a veteran should and I love that awards recognition has come her way in recent years. Tom Wilkinson, great himself, I think is finally moving out of the "I know him" category into name recognition and rightfully so. Support like Campbell Scott (who I’ve always liked) and Colm Feore is what all directors probably hope for. Jennifer Carpenter, meanwhile, makes the demonic possession completely believable. The Exorcism of Emily Rose lifts above most other recent horror films because of this cast and the work of director Derrickson.

THE VIDEO

High-definition anamorphic widescreen presents all the orange, green, and white colors the right way.

THE AUDIO

Dolby Digital 5.1 is, of course, the format here. English subtitles are available but no other language tracks or subtitles.

THE EXTRAS

Director Audio Commentary: Scott Derrickson provides a solo track, discussing a lot of fascinating things about the film. He touches on the color palette, camera work and angles used, and his thinking on certain shots. There is the usual praise of the actors and others and it may be a bit film geeky for some (Kurosawa is mentioned more than once), but this track is definitely worth the time to listen.

Deleted Scene: The scene here, in which Linney’s character brings a guy home who turns out to be a jerk, was clearly intended to develop the character but would have felt out of place in the finished film. Director Derrickson has a commentary on the scene and gives a good explanation why it was cut.

Genesis of the Story: Derrickson, the cast, and others discuss the inspiration for the story, its themes, and its blend of courtroom drama and horror. There is a lot of detail here, as this featurette is a nice 20 minutes in length. Things like the mention of the tape excerpt of the real girl the story is based on, Anneliese Michel, are interesting and, like the other two featurettes here, the presentation, like the editing and titles, suggests this is much more than just typical studio filler.

Casting the Film: As the title says, this is all about how the wonderful cast for this film came about. The biggest chunk of time in this lengthy featurette is given to praising Carpenter, and justifiably so, but all the leads get their due.

Visual Design: Another long featurette and probably my favorite. This 18 minute featurette covers the look of the film in good interviews with not only Derrickson but also the production designer and costume designer. The information about the lighting and how it changes in the second set of flashbacks, or how they accomplished that "bend" effect is fascinating. The director’s influences, like Francis Bacon paintings or Dario Argento, will throw a whole new light on viewing the film.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Through theme and acting, The Exorcism of Emily Rose not only manages to distinguish itself in quality among other recent horror films but also provokes a lot of thought. Structuring the scariest scenes as flashbacks within a courtroom drama is a unique touch, while the bonus features on this DVD presentation are the kind that truly deepen the viewing experience. Many will want to buy this, especially fans of the horror genre.