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Overall Rating : 3.5/10
Directed By : Hans-Christian Schmid
Sandra Hüller)
Burghart Klaußner
Imogen Kogge
Anna Blomeier
Supplied By : The Weinstein Company
Film Reviewed By : Rick L. Blalock
Date Reviewed : Mar. 6, 2007
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| PLOT An epileptic girl suffers a breakdown during her first year at university, then decides to seek help from a priest in battling the troubles associated with her strict upbringing. |
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| THE REVIEW REQUIEM is follows the life of a young girl named Michaela Klingler as she enters her first year of University. A year prior Michaela had missed a full year of school due to severe epilepsy, her mother does not like the idea of her entering school once again as she fears her condition will once again worsen - but since she has had a period of time in which she has had any signs her father agrees to send her. Once she arrives at school everything seems the way she planned, that is until she begins to skip out on her epileptic medication and even though she is excelling in school he health seems to slowly be declining. Michaela, who comes from a seemingly very religious family is known to pray, but eventually she is unable to do such At one point she unexplainably breaks her rosary as if some kind of force as taken over her, and it gets so powerful that she can't even touch or come close to religious objects, such as a cross. When Michaela's parents get not of her condition they suggest she see a doctor, but she declines. Before long everyone around her including friend Hannah and close friend Stefan begin to worry about her even more, however the two believe the cause of her sudden breakdown to be far worse than her epilepsy... something within her. In the end her parents call on to two of the local exorcists in the town, and from then on Michaela rejects their treatment in a violent manner, as they try to thrust the evil out of her. This tale from Germany is based on the true story of 23 year old named Anneliese Michel from Germany whom later died from exhaustion and starvation after an exorcism - the story also inspired 2005's THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE. Director Hans-Christian Schmid, takes a different approach for his film REQUIEM. Unlike most films based on exorcism, REQUIEM takes a tone down look at the situation - minus flashy camerawork and exaggerated occurrences(like the EXORCIST's vomit scenes). REQUIEM is shot in a realistic sense as something like this would happen in real life, and this really makes you realize that fiction in sometimes better than fact. I have seen and read many reviews that have praised REQUIEM for being a 'different' and for taking a different approach than the many exorcism films that came before it - but to be honest I film that once you have seen one exorcism film you've seen them all, and I found this one to be rather dull and uninspiring. It is my opinion that when THE EXORCIST was made in 1973 it broke the mold and nothing will begin to ever come close to being as effective story wise. Sure it was more 'made up' and more glamorous shall we say, but things that happened William Friedkin's film have stayed in the minds of many people over the years - and although this is different in most ways, REQUIEM really had nothing that grabbed me, nor anything I am likely to remember.(although I did like the element added to the story in which Michaela couldn't touch a cross or rosary) Although I didn't really enjoy the film to a great level, there is something to say about the star Sandra Hüller as Michaela. Hüller brings an innocents and likeability to her character which is needed for this type of film. The victim for one should be nice and sweet in portrayal for two reasons - as they begin to decline to a power greater than themselves, the audience should feel and care for them, and next when they are overcome by whatever it is harboring within them and begin to act violently - it is likely to be more shocking or what have you. Hüller exceeds here, unfortunately I believe the scenario is captured very plainly in the way it is handled leaving a great performance with little to work with. |
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| GORE
METER N/A |
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| MUSICAL
SCORE 3/10 Honestly I don't remember much of the score, but I do remember a few rock tunes that were kind of catchy and upbeat. | ||||
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| OVERALL
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM Honestly I expected to love REQUIEM due to the high praise it has been receiving... but lately I have begun to realize just how much my opinion seems to differ from a lot of people. I'm not big on exorcism films to begin with, so maybe that's why I didn't take to the film - I have not even seen EMILY ROSE beginning to end(I shut it off half way in), the only film of the type that I enjoy is THE EXORCIST as it has been the only one to ever impress me. With that said, REQUIEM seems to be not everyone's cup of tea... it wasn't mine, but who knows it just might be for you... This DVD will be available March 6, 2007 |
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