Review of Deliver Us from Evil (1979) by Anna C — 29 Jun 2007

Deliver Us From Evil is a superb documentary and a searing look at an institution protecting its leaders at the expense of its followers. A profoundly disturbing chronicle of a wolf in sheep's clothing, the film builds a clear-eyed case against pedophile priest Oliver O'Grady, and the Catholic bureaucracy that protected him.

The recollections of O?Grady's victims are nothing short of shocking and heartbreaking. Some films make you think, some make you cry, and others make you cringe. "Deliver Us From Evil," which catalogs the destruction caused by a child-molesting Catholic priest, inspires all three reactions.

It makes you angry, it makes you sad, it's a heartbreaking film and it's one of the few movies I find hard to watch. In the beginning it moves like a American Justice episode on O'Grady, which is great.

But then it moves along with the victims and their families and without giving too much away, I couldn't help but shed a few tears. The stories these people share about how their lives are ruined and is really tragic.

One of these persons has totally lost faith in God and says so, "There is no God" a direct quote. And all because of one man who has no shame. This movie is terrifying also at times. At one point this pig O'Grady gets the nerve to write letters to all his victims apologizing and invited them to meet with him face to face personally one on one and ask tell to them him what his actions have done to their lives.

This alone is so infruiating, but that's not all. After some comments he makes about waiting for them, here is what I couldn't help but be terrifyed of this man, he says something to the extend of "I'm waiting for them" and then winks at the camera.

My God I can't tell you how I felt. It's a howl of rage and a keen-eyed study of a subject that, unfortunately, never stops being news: the way institutional power acts as a shield under whose cover the strong can abuse the weak.

This film basically shows that this 1600 year old subject will never cease, and everyone including the Pope (yes, he IS involved and he should burn in hell for what he did) have a hell of a lot to answer for.

Pun intended. I'm still angry even six hours or so after the first viewing.