Deliver Us from Evil (2006)

Netflix Synopsis: This unsettling Oscar-nominated documentary from filmmaker Amy Berg investigates the life of 30-year pedophile Father Oliver O’Grady and exposes the corruption inside the Catholic Church that allowed him to abuse countless children. A mix of victim stories and a disturbing interview with O’Grady provides a view into the troubled mind of the spiritual leader who moved from parish to parish gaining the trust of congregations … all the while betraying so many.

Review: Deliver Us from Evil is one of the most powerful documentaries I’ve seen in quite some time. The core of its power is derived from the fact that the film makers managed to extensively interview pedophile Father Oliver O’Grady, and the pure evil he exudes as he recounts his crimes staggers the viewer. I actually felt nauseated more than once as he professed a contrition for his crimes, while at the same time minimizing his impact of the lives of those he molested. My skin crawled every time he used the term “affection” as a euphemism for sodomy and rape.

This is not a perfect film, or maybe that’s my own Catholicism rearing its head, because while the personal stories and the statistics of known abuse victims horrified me, I want to know where they come up with statistics like “ten percent of those graduating from St. John’s seminary are pedophiles.” Maybe the problem really is that big, and I’m in denial, but I just can’t imagine a number that high.

In any case, the rote reading of statistics only encompasses maybe 10 or 15 minutes of what is otherwise a nearly perfect documentary about the Catholic Church pedophilia scandal, and this is a film that clearly deserved its Oscar nomination.

Rating:

Submitted by: Lori 7/4/07