Deliver Us From Evil
Film Muser Rating : 5 / 5
Release Date : October 13, 2006
Running Time : 101 minutes
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Deliver Us From Evil takes a critical look at the sexual abuse problems that have been continually plaguing the Catholic church. The film focuses on one particular priest, Oliver O’Grady, a pedophile who victimized hundreds of young children throughout his career. The film gives powerful testimonies from both O’Grady and his victims, while also documenting the blatant cover-up of high ranking church officials.
This film was nominated for the 2006 Oscar for Best Documentary, and for good reason. This movie is unbelievable, and is sure to incite feelings of rage, disgust, and sympathy from anyone who watches it. Filmmaker Amy Berg’s interview with Father Oliver O’Grady is chilling as he speaks about his crimes throughout his time as a priest in California. Exiled and living freely in Ireland, O’Grady speaks candidly about what he did to so many children. I found it difficult to gauge his sincerity. Though he shows remorse, I found him to be somewhat smug in his attitude.
The scenes with his victims are extremely powerful. Parents of the abused children explain how they trusted Father O’Grady with their children, and the complete betrayal they experienced. Many of the victims speak in vivid detail of the abuse they endured while under the care of O’Grady. We get a look into these people’s lives years after the abuse, and see the lasting effects it has had during their life.
As powerful as the scenes with O’Grady and his victims are, it’s the scenes that look at the bureaucratic cover-ups traveling to the highest levels of the Vatican that are most disturbing. The film showcases key depositions made by Cardinal Roger Mahoney as he tries to deter any blame away from the diocese. The indifference shown to what was occurring is remarkable. But what is most disgusting is that even though O’Grady was known to be abusing children, he was simply moved to new locations to ensure that the records of Cardinals and Bishops in the diocese were kept free of scars, enabling them to move up the ranks in the future.
This is a heartbreaking film that everyone needs to see. The allegations of child abuse in the Catholic church is something that has been in the public eye so frequently. The strange thing about it that it doesn’t seem to be getting any better, and Deliver Us From Evil does an excellent job at illustrating why this is so. This is not a film that sets out to bash the Catholic church, but it shows us how the quest for career advancement in the church has led to corruption, and an apathetic attitude to a devastating problem that the rest of the world sees as a true evil. The film lays out irrefutable evidence that significant change is needed, and perhaps will act as a catalyst.
Memorable Scene
During an interview with Bob Jyono, the father of one of the abused, we are shown how the abuse affects not only the child, but the entire family. When Jyono speaks about the guilt he felt after he and his wife found out of the abuse, his breakdown will break your heart.
It really is a very powerful movie. I think as good as documentary filmmaking gets.
My opinion is that it was unfortunate that this movie was not recognized with the Oscar. The winner, An Inconvinient Truth, had so much visibility and high profile that it would have been very difficult for any other doc to win over it. On the merits of filmmaking though I think this is a much stronger film.
After seeing both of these films, I think I agree that this was the better of the two.