Deliver Us (Liberami), 2016.
Directed by Federica Di Giacomo.
SYNOPSIS:
An examination of the life of Franciscan priest Father Cataldo Migliazzo as he conducts the rituals of exorcism on members of his congregation.
Religion has been one of the great constants in our increasingly crazy world. With every massive advance in the fields of science, technology or medicine, religion has always been there to witness it. And as the world has changed, religion has changed, with previously literal interpretations of religious doctrine being discarded for the most part.
However, what has remained is the practice of exorcism, the practice of casting out demonic entities that have possessed a person’s body and spirit through the use of God’s power. It is this fascinating and controversial practice that is at the heart of the documentary Liberami (Deliver Us).
I’ll start this review by saying that I’m not a religious person in the slightest. I don’t believe in God, nor do I believe in supernatural or spiritual entities like demons and I certainly don’t believe in demonic possession. So with that in mind, you’ll have to forgive my scepticism and disbelief at much of what is shown in Liberami.
At the heart of the film is Father Cataldo, a Franciscan priest who is regularly called upon to perform exorcisms on members of his congregation, their relatives and those from outside of his parish in Sicily. The film depicts Caltaldo as an earnest and wise man of the cloth. One who is deeply committed to his faith (he blesses everything from a car to his lunch) and he has, through his work as an exorcist, become widely admired by those who come to see him for guidance.
The film spares no detail in depicting Father Cataldo’s efforts to rid his followers of their demonic burdens, with the film showing us many curious and often unsettling sites. One such instance has Cataldo performing mass to a packed church, when all of a sudden many members of the congregation start screaming, shrieking, talking gibberish and spewing curse words like a trooper.
These moments are indeed a fascinating and often unsettling watch, yet I personally don’t believe these people to be experiencing any kind of demonic influence, with their outbursts perhaps being the result of an undiagnosed mental illness, or as one conversation between priests suggests, attention seeking.
Plus the whole exorcising demons routines does all become a bit of a tough pill to swallow when you witness Father Cataldo performing exorcisms over the phone. The film even ends with a disclaimer revealing that the Catholic Church has set up special call centers to deal with a rapid rise in the number of people seeking exorcisms, almost like a religious equivalent of the Samaritans helpline.
However, while I might be skeptical about the demonic elements, the film sensibly doesn’t seem to take a stance as to whether it believes that these people are genuine victims of some kind of demonic influence or are simply suffering from a mental illness. Conversations between the film’s subjects suggest that some are perhaps mentally ill but are reluctant to admit it, while others claim to have undergone every medical test possible and are turning to religion out of a sense of desperation. You can sympathise with their plight because after all when you’ve exhausted all possibly earthly cause for your unhappiness or ill-health, why not seek a spiritual answer.
It might be because of my own skepticism about religion and the supernatural elements ascribed to it, but I personally found this film to be a bit of a chore to watch.
There is really only so many scenes of Caltado performing exorcisms on people that are snarling and spewing like a rabid dog that you can suffer through before you start praying for the film to just end. If the film had perhaps featured interviews with priests and experts discussing exorcisms and the various facets of it I would perhaps have found the film more engaging, but we unfortunately are given none of that.
My difficulty in watching the film was not helped by the fact that I simply think that these “possessed” people are merely suffering from an illness that desperately needs treating; this is not helped by my concurrent belief there are more than a few people featured in the film that I feel are downright faking these symptoms for the attention.
Liberami is a mediocre and tedious documentary. While the subject matter has the potential to be an engaging and interesting watch for both believers and skeptics alike, the repetitive presentation of this premise neuters the film almost entirely, leaving it as a tiresome and boring watch. Only check this one out if you’re really curious.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★
Graeme Robertson
Originally published October 30, 2017. Updated April 11, 2018.
