Written by Mr. Mouseburger 31st Oct 2005
Karras is the priest who has slowly watched the young girl, Regan, deteriorate into the spawn of Satan and watched helplessly as the attempted exorcism failed to release the girl from the demonic possession.
Out of desperation, Karras begs/orders the demon to leave the girl alone and possess him instead. Considering the possession of a priest to be a great prize, the demon does leave Regan and inhabits Karras, but before it can take full control of him, Karras flings himself out of the bedroom window and crashes to his death on the steps outside.
Best drama, best horror, etc.
I personally found this film disgusting and blasphemous, but not really scary in other areas, but then I suppose that was the point! It was handled rather effectively in that case.
Still, the films that really scare me are killer animal films, Cujo and Monkeyshines in particular! (Are those allowed in Britain, Mouseburger? I hear there's some kind of movie code against it.)
Oh, second question! While I was snacking, I thought of something, since Karras died with a demon living in him, (of suicide no less!) does that mean he goes to hell?
Mr. Briggs Incorporated Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Still, the films that really scare me are killer
> animal films, Cujo and Monkeyshines in particular!
> (Are those allowed in Britain, Mouseburger? I hear
> there's some kind of movie code against it.)
Cujo is OK in the UK, with an 18 rating (no one under 18 can see it), as is Monkey Shines (with the same rating).
I presume that 'code' you're talking about is cuts to animal cruelty. These only affect films where animals are seen to be deliberately hurt and/or killed for a desired effect. This can include horsetrips etc. Films cut by this rule include the 2 Conan films, both Cannibal Holocausts and more. It doesn't effect newer films so much, as they are often monitored, but House Of Flying Daggers was recently cut by 18 seconds.
Ok, watching the movie with its subtitles over and over again, I figured that the entire movie is about possessing father Karras... The demon knows how karras is. the demon knows that if the exorcism takes place and fails, that karras will take the demon into himself and try to commit suicide. And thus, karras will end up in hell... karras is definately bigger game that regan is... getting karras in hell is a great accomplishment for the demon.
check out these lines:
REGAN/DEMON
What an excellent day for an exorcism.
KARRAS
You'd like that?
REGAN/DEMON
Intensely.
KARRAS
But wouldn't that drive you out of Regan?
REGAN/DEMON
It would bring us together.
KARRAS
You and Regan?
REGAN/DEMON
You and us.
................
Well, I get that. That is interesting but I dont believe the priest is going to hell. He sacraficed him self for another living being. It's not like he just randomly jumped out a window to kill him self because he hated his life. He did it to protect another person. Infact he would most probably have a nice little place waiting for him in heaven after that. So the demon wasted it's time.
[quote Mr. Briggs Incoporated]Oh, second question! While I was snacking, I thought of something, since Karras died with a demon living in him, (of suicide no less!) does that mean he goes to hell?[/quote]No, he wont go to hell because he did it to save another person. self sacrafice. It's like suicide but not quite suicide. It's not like he wanted to die. But he knew it was the only way to protect the girl. He's a hero.
Karras is read the last rights by Father Dyer and is assumed to be answering in the affirmative by squeezing his hand (by this point, he has most likely been rendered incapable of speech). This ritual would absolve him from his sins and, according to catholic belief, his soul would go to heaven.
The fate of the demon (namely Pazuzu, according to the director's commentary) is more ambiguous. I believe that Karras' act of self sacrifice represents a triumph of good over evil, given the fact that Karras struggles with this concept throughout the film, and that this finally banishes the demon.
Damien Karras doesn't go to hell. He goes to heaven. It explains on The Version You Have Never Seen that at the end his soul rises over his body to go to heaven. Okay, he committed suicide, but it was a sacrifice for the good. He resorted to taking himself for the life of a young girl who put him through "hell" with the comments she made while being possessed. I think that is worthy of an "amen".
When Karas got possessed the demon in him went to attack or kill Regan...
he chose to jump out the window fighting the urging of the demon.
In real life, don't know how God decides such occurences. Only God knows!
True that.
Father Karras certainly does not go to hell even though technically its a suicide. After just watching its
even more evident how he saved Regan from the demon. Once he's possessed by the demon you see
his POV with arms outstretched toward Regan but he's fighting it. Surely, the demon would have no
compunction killing her (via Karras) and throwing her out the window. Instead, Karras throws them both
out the window to banish it.