LOS ANGELES — Another religion-laced terror story has descended on Hollywood with “The Pope’s Exorcist,” thanks to the help of a real-life Jesuit priest.
The film, starring Academy Award winner Russell Crowe, is based on the life of Father Gabriele Amorth, who is the head of the Vatican exorcist. He was born in Modena, in northern Italy, in 1925. During World War II, he was recruited into the Italian army but later defected and became a partisan in the fight against fascists and Nazis.
Amorth became the Vatican’s chief exorcist in 1992 and died in 2016 at the age of 91.
Father Edward Siebert, who teaches at Loyola Marymount University and serves as one of the producers of “The Pope’s Exorcist,” says the film is about good versus evil — but stresses that it is historical fiction.
He said that the rite of exorcism is unique and not always how it is seen in Hollywood movies.
“They are always done in partnership with the diocese and with the approval of the bishop,” he told Spectrum News.
Father Siebert said that before the exorcism is performed, an individual must go through medical and psychological exams, seek advice from others, have an agreement with the diocese, and once the demonic possession is determined, the process will begin. in exorcism.
“What ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ does is take a composite of the practice of doing the rite of exorcism and take those exaggerated moments, some people might say scary moments, and put them on the screen. . It represents what is evil because evil is intangible. It is difficult to show the audience what is bad,” he said.
Showing evil through demonic possession, bulging eyes, head shaking, allows the audience to better understand what evil is, said Father Siebert.
Siebert, who also runs Loyola Productions, said he always wanted to make movies. A producer he worked with pushed him to make a movie based on Amorth’s life.
It took eight years to bring the film to the big screen.
“It didn’t just happen overnight. It’s a long process, but who better to work on this film than a Jesuit priest who is a filmmaker,” he said.
How does Father Siebert describe Amorth?
“He is a man of prayer, a man of conviction. He really wanted to minister to people who were suffering. In the end, he found out that being an exorcist was one way to do that. This is a wonderful ministry,” he said.
Siebert says being the film’s executive producer allowed him to shape the story. He said he was never worried about what his religious superiors might say because he just wanted to make a good film about good and evil.
“This is a story of hope. I really believe that,” he said.
Does Siebert think Pope Francis will watch the movie?
“He loves movies. I don’t know if he likes horror films. If he does well. If he doesn’t, that’s okay. I think he will appreciate the fact that a Jesuit works hard in new ways to help people know the love of God, finally,” he said.
“The Pope’s Exorcist” is now out in theaters.