THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT
US, 2021, 112 minutes, Colour.
Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ruairi O'Connor, Sarah Catherine Cook, Julian Hillyard, John Noble. Directed by Michael Chaves.
This is the third in the Conjuring series but Ed and Lorraine Warren have been associated with a number of other films in what is now franchise, the Annabelle films, The Nun. The Warren’s rose to some prominence with the haunting of the house in Amityville, filmed in 1978 as The Amityville Horror, which also led to a series of Amityville films and telemovies. They also worked in Enfield, in London.
Most drama requires a suspension of disbelief – films like this and the activities of the Warrens perhaps require a suspension of scepticism.
The Warrens were well known with their work in connection with diabolical possessions, satanic rituals, exorcisms. They worked in collaboration with the church. They also became famous as television personalities – and, at the end of this film, there are clips from an interview with the Warrens themselves as well as the audio of the exorcism performed and visualised in the prologue here.
In fact, the prologue is quite alarming, obviously in the tradition of The Exorcist with the priest arriving outside the building to perform the ceremony, this time a boy of eight, possessed, writhing and contorting, convulsing, his parents present, his sister and her boyfriend, the Warrens and the priest joining them. This kind of thing is always disturbing to watch, especially with a young boy. It is only when the boyfriend offers to receive the demon out of the boy, that the situation becomes calm.
What emerges is the story of Satanists, the Disciples of the Ram, arrested, tried in court and imprisoned. However, they have left an underground cavern, a satanic altar, cup for blood, an animal’s death head, and a mysterious presence, a woman who has organised the ritual and continues in her search for a soul.
Which means then that there is quite a lot of drama and melodrama, the young man, Arnie (Rauiri O’Connor) possessed, viciously attacking a friend, arrested, in court, with a plea for violence under the influence of spirit possession. And his woes continue in prison, despite the help of the prison chaplain.
The film follows two lines of drama, the Warrens investigating a similar kind of case in Massachusetts, discussions with the detective, Lorraine exercising her extraordinary powers, seeing and sensing evil, becoming involved in the past story and murder. The second line is information about a former priest, who helped with the arrest of the Disciples of the Ram, but who lives alone with the relics from the sect.
Needless to say, and what we were expecting, is a buildup to a final confrontation, especially between Lorraine and the mysterious female presence, Ed coming to Lorraine’s rescue but influenced by the evil woman, a violent confrontation.
As in the other films, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga portray the Warrens.
Perhaps audiences are getting used to the franchise. While there have been favourable comments, many also say that this is not as exciting and powerful as the previous films. But, for most audiences who venture to see the Conjuring films, plenty of excitement, plenty of alarm.
- Third in the series? Audience familiarity with Ed and Lorraine Warren? Their work over the decades? Exorcisms? Combating evil spirits? Their reputation, the museum? (The final credits, televised interviews with the Warrens, the audio of the exorcism of David?)
- The 1980s, American towns, homes, hospital, eerie homes in the country, eerie basements? Prisons? The musical score?
- The pre-credits sequence? David, possessed, the family gathered, the Warrens, the possession and his contortions, sounds, the arrival of the priest (echoes of The Exorcist), the prayers, the physical repercussions on all present? Arnie, present, love for Debbie, care for David, offering to take the spirit? Possessed?
- The background of the case, the former priest and his investigations, explanations about the cult, Disciples of the Ram, their imprisonment? Consulted by the Warrens? The picture of the diabolical head? His warnings? Lorraine returning to him in the crisis, his explanation about himself, his daughter, her cult? The curse, the need for a soul? Lorraine seeing her, identifying with her, her return to the house, killing her father, the fight with Lorraine? Ed and his destruction of the altar? Her death?
- The curse, being communicated? Arnie, his work, with Bruno, the music, the knife, the frenzy, his death? Arrested? The Warrens supporting him, seeing the lawyer, the defence because of possession? His going to prison, the experiences, seeing things, creatures, the priest giving him the holy water, the circle, its being invaded? The suicide attempt, going to the infirmary? Final recovery? Going to court, guilty of manslaughter, serving five years, marrying Debbie?
- David, the little boy, the flashback to going to the house, the waterbed, the emergence of the spirit, possession? (And David Glatzal being consulted for the film?)
- The Warrens, their personalities, Lorraine and her old-fashioned style of dressing? Their work, the pressures, its collapse, hospital? Visiting the ex-priest? The murder case in Massachusetts, the discussions with the detective, Lorraine picking the correct knife, going to location, her vision, the two girls, the murder, the chase, the danger at the edge of the cliff, the hand seizing Lorraine’s leg, Ed rescuing her? The discovery of the body? The visit to the morgue, the spirits in the morgue? The burial of the dead girl and the detective sitting at her grave at the cliff?
- Ed, recovering, supportive of Lorraine, her visions? Drew, his helping with the investigation, the book, the translation, going to see the former priest, his explanation?
- The buildup to the final confrontation, Lorraine and the ex-priest, the daughter, Ed driving, smashing the grate, his being overcome, the daughter and the powder in his eye, his flailing, the threat to Lorraine, the importance of the flashback, the courting, her words and his coming to his senses?
- Resolution, the head being put in the Museum, Arnie in court, the family?
- The film based on actual characters, experiences, television interviews – and audiences suspending scepticism?
