Requiem is a drama that follows the story of a German girl, Michaela, as she deals with disturbances in her life that could either be physiological (mental illness, epilepsy) or spiritual (demonic possession). It is a very humane, realistic slice of life that happens to be inspired by a real-life tragedy. The girl who the film is based on actually died after several attempts were made to exercise the demon, and there are supposedly recordings as well as official recognition from the Catholic church.
My main problem with this movie was that it was marketed as a horror film. It is closer to something Lars Von Trier might have done ten years ago. The words you will see most often used to describe it are "subtle" and "understated." It is very effective at showing what it might have really been like to be a young girl with this affliction. It does not sensationalize or exploit Michaela, but rather uses her story to make us think about how faith affects us, among other things.
I thought it was extremely well done. I was just in the mood for something else when I happened to watch it. I had seen Emily Rose and thought this would be a more psychological retelling of those events, but it is a completely different side of the story. I recommend it to viewers who appreciate character studies done in a cinema-veritae/documentary-style approach.
My main problem with this movie was that it was marketed as a horror film. It is closer to something Lars Von Trier might have done ten years ago. The words you will see most often used to describe it are "subtle" and "understated." It is very effective at showing what it might have really been like to be a young girl with this affliction. It does not sensationalize or exploit Michaela, but rather uses her story to make us think about how faith affects us, among other things.
I thought it was extremely well done. I was just in the mood for something else when I happened to watch it. I had seen Emily Rose and thought this would be a more psychological retelling of those events, but it is a completely different side of the story. I recommend it to viewers who appreciate character studies done in a cinema-veritae/documentary-style approach.