Sunday, June 19, 2011

'The Rite' - Demon Possession Movie Review

Last night I watched a movie - which is based on a 'true story'. How much of it is true I don’t know. The Rite is a 2011 supernatural horror film directed by Mikael Håfström and written by Matt Baglio and Michael Petroni.[3] It is based on Matt Baglio's book The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist,[4] and stars Anthony Hopkins as Father Lucas.

The movie starts with a young man who cannot decide if he should continue with the family business - which is running a funeral home or to follow in the foot steps of 'the other side of his family' which is to become a priest.

The young man has flashes of his childhood - living above a funeral home, having to adjust to the sight of dead bodies in the basement. Then they show us a painful memory of him observing his father preparing his mother's body for her funeral. This imprinted itself on the young man's mind as one if his least favorite experiences, and when the day comes for him to decide which career path he is going to follow he dis-heartedly chooses to rather become a priest, even though he does not actually have much faith himself. The options are bleak, but a man has to eat.

So off he goes to parish-school, while pretending to get 'into the spirit of things'. A few months later he decides to rather quit because no matter how hard he tries - he just cannot convince himself of any type of religious conviction. That night while walking along a dark rainy road, he witnesses an accident in which a young girl is hit by a car. Lying on the cold road, this young girl mysteriously knows she is about to die and after noticing the young priest standing nearby, beckons for him to come closer and give her - her 'final blessing' - so that she does not die without having been blessed. One would imagine that having just been hit by a car resulting in on peeing blood from various parts of your body - that you would concern yourself with getting to a hospital - rather than having a priest bless you while you are slowly bleeding to death… but in any way continuing with the story -

The young priest is hesitant - he knows he has been lying about his faith thus far and therefore feels like he is doing this girl a major injustice. He decides to repeat some words he learned in bible class - which will allow this girl to cross over 'thinking' she has been blessed. Lovely how religion proves itself even in the movies to actually only exist in the mind of the believer. Did that girl require the priest or could she have 'blessed' herself through self forgiveness into the 'afterlife'? Did she end up in hell because the priest was actually not sincere and some cosmic counter was holding her accountable for the acts of the priest? Who knows - it's just a movie - or is it really? -How many people who have crossed over under the delusion of a godly afterlife were rudely awoken by the actuality of heaven - which is as above so below = Self.

Meanwhile - while the young priest is babbling knowledge and information and the young girl is focusing on dying - the parish-school teacher who received the young priests resignation to the parish-school earlier that day - was watching this epic moment from the side walk. The next day he asks to see the young priest (Micheal) and informs Micheal that he will not be accepting his resignation as he has a proposal for him. He explains to Micheal that he witnessed the event that unfolded the previous evening and saw within Micheal a resolve which Micheal himself was not yet aware of. Yes -at that stage I asked myself - what about the fact that the young priest was lying to the young dying girl by pretending to have faith thus pretending to bless her into the afterlife'? Is 'religious conviction' as it is depicted here the deception which is acceptable by all as long as it makes everyone believe their own beliefs?

The young priest denies such resolve and adamantly debates that he is not cut out to follow this life path. The teacher informs Micheal - that he had received a letter from the big boys at the Vatican who claim that demon possessions is on the increase and therefore - the Vatican has decided to employ one exorcist within each catholic church in each country. The teacher explains that he has been asked to select one student from this particular parish school to go for 'exorcist training' and to fulfill the role of the exorcist for that parish. He explains to Micheal that he 'knows' that Micheal is right for this position because of this special resolve thingy, which apparently if the truth were to be told - involves lying and pretending.

Eventually with some persuasion, Micheal decides to give this new career opportunity a chance and agrees to go for the exorcist training. A few days into the course - the head lecturer approaches Micheal and mentions to him that the teacher who had suggested Micheal for this course, had told the lecturer that there is a great potential within Micheal. Therefore he has decided to send Micheal to their local exorcist for 'additional hands on lessons in exorcisms'. Again Micheal confesses that he is not so sure that he should be given such high praise - as his faith is not what it should be for a man in such a position and actually believes that most demonic possession cases are caused by psychological rather than demonic problems. The lecturer suggests that he spend some time with the exorcist and then decide after having spent some time participating in real exorcisms - and if he still feels that way he may leave.

The next day Micheal goes to visit the exorcist, a father Lucas - who is played by Anthony Hopkins. The first thing that struck me here was the symbolic placement of Mr Hopkins - as he is a famous actor who is taken seriously for the roles he has played. Within the movie watcher's mind, one now places the movie into the same category as the 'high regard' one has for Anthony Hopkins as an actor. Soon after their first introductions, Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins) introduces Michael to his first exorcism - of that of a young pregnant girl. Towards the end of the exorcism, as the young girl is leaving with her mother, Micheal notices that the demon did not leave the girl, but instead simply retreated into the girl for a moment. He questions Father Lucas about this, who responds something along the lines of 'yes, she has been possessed for a while and will continue to be so -I simply drive the demon back once in a while'. This somewhat perplexes Micheal, who proceeds to argue that this girl is not possessed and that she is simply overcome with guilt due to the fact that her father was the one who impregnated her. Father Lucas is adamant and each day tries persistently to convince Micheal that demon possession is in fact more frequent than Micheal suspects. Symbolically this shows that the christian faith have no idea what to do with demonic possession or possession of ones mind and simply indicate that the best way is to 'keep the faith

A few days later the young, pregnant girl is back. Father Lucas had warned Micheal on day one, that due to his lack of experience he should at no stage communicate with the demon, but instead do his part, which is to read the prescribed texts from his little bible. During this specific session, whereby father Lucas is driving the demon back into the girl into a state of suppression, the young Micheal decides to confront the demon head on. He interrupts father Lucas as he swears and cusses at the demon to 'leave this girl,' and starts questioning the demon as to its actual validity. They go around in circles for a while where Micheal accusing the demon of not really being a demon, unless of course he would be willing to give up his name. The demon becomes irritated and reacts by throwing various insults at Micheal. Towards the end of the discussion Micheal basically says to the demon that if he is not willing to give them their name it must mean that he is not real and that this girl is not in fact demon possessed, whereby the jury now leans towards this girl having psychological issues over the fact that she was raped. The demon becomes infuriated and later that day decides to push the baby out of the girls body leaving both her and the baby dead. The demon had now had enough of this game. Father Lucas is overcome with grief and flops into an inconsolable depression for days.

In the days to follow though, strange things start to happen around Father Lucas and Micheal. Micheal is participating daily in his lectures on how to become an exorcist and father Lucas is waddling around his parish contemplating his great screw up in allowing this young girl to die. He does not question god or jesus, whom both played star roles in the exorcisms, but instead takes it all upon himself as the one that should have been able to prevent this demon from killing the young mother and her baby. So the question there is - if one looks at the documentation of demon possessions and exorcisms over time - who actually needed god or jesus? Most exorcisms would last for days, some would end in the death of the possessed person and in all cases of demonic possession - the demon would simply play along with the possession until they got tired of yelling and performing, just to eventually leave the person's body and go find someone else. It is only within the deluded thinking of the religion person - that the beLIEf exists that the demon went to 'hell'. Have you been to hell to actually check the facts for yourself that demons go there after an exorcism? Why does it take so long to exorcise a demon? Why does the priest have to yell over and over and over and over and over for the demon to leave in the name of jesus - does the demon eventually leave because he does not want to be yelled at any more? Does the name of jesus require repetition times 5000 for an exorcism to finally take? I mean does any religious person ever stop to ask the question why a demon who is more clever and older than your average human, would be bothered by a crucifix and the name of jesus? Is a demon really both super clever and also silly as a kid around a clown the minute you lift a little silver cross? The question that should be asked is: where would demons really go after they left the person, did they ever leave?

Have Christians who vow to the validity of exorcisms and the 'name of jesus', ever bothered to climb out of their bodies to check where the demon goes? I mean, if we opened all jails cells of the worst, most meanest criminals of all times - and said 'now listen we are opening these cells so you may have a walk around but on good faith I am trusting that you will come back to your cell at 5'! Will the criminal come back to his cell at 5? No. And yet humans continue to believe that demons as they existed for thousands of years, mastering the art of manipulation - would be bothered by a silver cross and the name of a guy who died on a cross. If god and jesus were all that powerful would religious people not be able to ask upon god to stop world suffering? Regardless of what christians do - the world situation as it is still exists - nothing changes. Regardless of how many exorcisms have been done - it did not stop - thereby indicating the level of brainwashing - for religious people to believe that demons just 'up and go to hell'. The fact that demons exist - is not questioned by religious people. The fact that a god would allow a soul to be so tormented by the life on earth that they would decide to become demonic in the afterlife - is not questioned by the religious. They call it a test of faith - I call it abuse of Life. Nothing has changed - and religion and those who belong to it should be held accountable for abuse to and the condoning of the abuse to life in the name of their beliefs. I mean demonic possessions are either 'real' according to the faithful or not. Which one is it going to be - you choose - either you have been allowing the abuse of innocence -for your cause - or you stop it once and for all. Many christians like to comment on my videos saying that demons were 'created by lucifer or some dark cosmic cause. Ok, so if someone else created them and you as who you claim to really be, claim you know that this is not what is best for that being or yourself - then why do you not find a way to assist demons to no longer exist for the cause of religion? Why do you participate in the polarity of demons which is apparently 'goodness' which exists on the basis of fear of evil - which by its tacit agreement allows for the existence of demons? Why do you not stop and say to your god - assist these beings or I no longer support you? If you answer that what I am saying is 'just to much' then why are you a christian - what purpose do you serve? Has it become too convenient to use imagery and symbolic representations of what demons are to scare your children into becoming good people? If you have used any of the good/bad polarity to raise your children - then you have participated in the abused of a life form.


Now that we have covered how useless religion really is we may proceed with the movie review which shows that the whole purpose of 'evil' and the allowance of demons - and the existence of religion is to keep people trapped in hope - thus never changing the world to 'what is best for all'….

Father Lucas to his great surprise starts coughing up nails and realises that the demon is now in the process of possessing him. He contacts Micheal and explains to him that he will have to assist. Soon after Micheal arrives with one of the other students in the class, whom he had befriended - father Lucas starts showing the symptoms of full possession. This would be the point where hollywood takes demon possession to its most unrealistic level and has Anthony Hopkins' face transform into that of the demons. Other than this, I was amused by this twist in the story - where the exorcist himself becomes fully possessed - yet I realised that there will surely be an ending which will protect the christian religion - which of course would be where this young Micheal would save not only the day, but also the christian faith. The demon who was now fully in possession of Father Lucas challenges Micheal and calls him a 'doubter'. The battle is on between the clever demon whom now possesses all of father Lucas's knowledge and secret mind thoughts about Micheal as a 'non-believer' - and young Micheal, a mere freshman in the area of exorcism. One would imagine that in reality the demon would have kicked Micheals ass - but no - the movie had to turn again towards the unrealistic brainwashing that religion has been using since the beginning of civilization - and pull this old familiar rabbit out of the hat: Micheal 'realises' that if he does not 'find god' and buckle down once and for all with the old faith factor - then he will most probably be witness to the death of Father Lucas. Eventually Micheal realises that there really is no choice for him - he is not equipped to assist Father Lucas or to even deal with this demon one-on-one - and thus resort to 'fake it till you make it' by pretending all of a sudden to have found god. He experiences a sudden onset of religious conviction and feels himself filling up from inside with the holly spirit. He is a new man - completely brainwashed with belief and ready to take on the demon. He pushes out his proud chest and condemns the demon to hell in the name of jesus! At first the demon spits and cusses, eventually he jumps up and grabs the girl who had been assisting Micheal, by the neck. He does what every demon does in all of your demon possession movies and tugs at her deepest darkest memories until she is sobbing with shame. The demons get the humans each and every time. All they have to do is find that within the human which is hidden, that which has not been forgiven and that which the human so strongly beLIEves about themselves.

So - are demons the liars or do they simply present to the human that which exists within the human? Yes - the demon might pull faces and flop around occasionally spewing green goo from the possessed person's mouth - but the real fear for each human behind 'being faced by a demon' - is the fact that we don’t like what they do or say. We don’t like that they can control our minds, we do not like that they can taunt us with our deepest regrets. Most people - do not like that we actually do not know what to do with demons because religion simply offers a pretense, a clinging to faith, never actual solutions.

After the demon reduces the girl to tears, he turns his focuses to Micheal. He gnaws away at Michaels' weaknesses until finally Micheal realizes that unless he absolutely beliefs his own words - they are both screwed and Father Lucas is dead. So, he does what every religious icon in a hollywood movie does - and he calls upon god with all his might and casts that foul demon from father Lucas! The demon is expelled and all is well again. Father Lucas collapses into a deep restful sleep while Micheal and the assistant watch over him. The movie ends - showing Micheal as a fully devout priest and exorcist - and one realises - that he has now found himself and the conviction which others originally saw within him. The endless cycle of human hope continues...

Most of the movie was hollywood style over exaggeration of facts. Yes demon possessions use to exist as dimensional beings trapped within a demonic experience. What we are facing on earth now is mind possession - the mind of man as that which we have accepted and allowed. Therefore even though what is said in the movie is accurate - that possessions are on the increase - what is not accurate and is used to play on people's fears through misrepresentation - is that these possessions are caused by 'spirits' or 'demons'. Possessions are caused by the compound effect of consciousness existent within each human as the mind.

Each human which experiences a state of possession is doing so from within what they have become as their mind as all the layers existent within the conscious, subconscious and unconscious. The Mind as it has evolved over time has become a cesspool of secrets, desires, fears, control, hope, lust etc -and that eventually pushes each human through some form of 'possession' into certain life decisions. Within the DesteniIProcess we are currently designing the Subconscious Backchat phase which deals with that part of the mind which functions from pre-programming. It is nothing personal - the mind simply runs according to automated systems that we as humanity have already programmed into and as consciousness. Therefore what we have become is the demonic nature of man and this is coming through every day in the news - which does not even include what happens inside each human's mind in secret and what happens behind closed doors.

Possession is on the increase - people being driven to acts of madness due to the mind design. This will not be solved by fake words based on religion. It will not be solved with drugs and alcohol. What is suppressed and ignored and denied finds its expression through eventually becoming the physical as a state of physical possession - where the being finds themselves acting on thoughts and reactions - without knowing how to stop.

If you experience yourself becoming possessed by pictures, desires, fears, hopes, envy etc - please join us on the demonology forum - where we write ourselves to freedom through applying the tools of self forgiveness which goes hand in had with self responsibility and self honesty.

If you are religious and have some special religious messages to share with me in relation to this blog - dont bother it will not be approved - and indicates one thing - you did not read the blog and are merely possessed by fear. If you have practical, common sense insight - please discuss.

More on the Movie:

The Rite (2011 film). (2011, June 16). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 10:48, June 19, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Rite_(2011_film)&oldid=434504005

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