THE RITE

Father Gary Thomas

Father Gary Thomas has seen about 100 people allegedly possessed by the Devil. The Rite, starring Anthony Hopkins. is based on a journalist's first hand look at this Roman Catholic priest, who took exorcism training at the Vatican in 2005.  In the film, a seminarian named Michael Kovak is sent to Rome to study with a Welsh priest (Anthony Hopkins).  In real life, Thomas is one of just 14 certified exorcists working in the United States (Saratoga, California, to be exact).  He admits that a large percentage of people who come to him are dealing with health issues or have been abused. If he determines a person has a 'demonic attachment', he tries various methods to weed out evil (i.e. prayer, the Eucharist, sacraments).  Sometimes people behave violently, faces contort, they have to be restrained from doing harm to others or themselves. In one case, Thomas recalls a Venezuelan woman who hissed like a snake, changed appearance and almost jumped out a window.

Of course, The Rite is not the first film to chronicle 'real' exorcisms.
William Friedkin's classic demonic saga, The Exorcist is based on a 14-year old boy in Maryland named Robbie.  Similar to the film, his mother sought religious help to answer the shaking bed,  levitating in the air, and mysterious facial scratches. When a priest was called in, Robbie spoke in Latin, said he was the devil, broke holy water containers, and caused candles to shoot big flames in the air.

Skeptics, like Michael Cuneo, who witnessed numerous exorcisms for his book, American Exorcism: Expelling Demons in the Land of Plenty, found no supernatural effects.  He, like many scientists, debunk possession claims as mental illness issues.  Scientists also point out that real exorcisms often result in death, often due the radical actions taken by exorcists.  One tragic case involved a woman tied to a cross, gagged, and left without food or water for several days. Another truth-based film, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, chronicles a priest's negligence in performing an exorcism, resulting in the death of a 19-year old girl.

On The Rite website, you can find dozens of news articles about exorcisms.

Interesting interview with Father Thomas discussing horror movies.

Films of note:

The Exorcist
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
The Last Exorcism