Cut Above the Rite Page #2

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This man's jaw spontaneously dislocated

while being read the Lord's Prayer.

He made no physical contact

with any object...

...nor was he met with

any physical force.

Demons are the devil's foot soldiers...

...often operating in groups

much like a squadron...

...infesting their victims.

It is the job of an exorcist...

...to determine the number of

possessing demons and their names...

...something the demons protect

with great ferocity.

And when the exorcist has a name...

...he can then begin to

assert control over the entity...

...and cast it out.

Who have we here?

-Michael Kovak.

-I'm sorry?

[LOUDER] Michael Kovak.

Oh, yes.

The American.

-Yeah. Sorry I'm late.

-Yes, I prefer punctuality to apologies.

Welcome. Sit down.

[MAN YELLING ON RECORDING]

MAN [IN RUSSIAN ON RECORDING]:

Die, priest, die!

XAVIER:
The most identifiable sign

of a possession...

...is the negative reaction

to sacred objects.

Crucifixes, holy water.

The man that you have just heard...

...was reacting to a crucifix

placed on his head.

ANGELINA:
Excuse me, Father.

XAVIER:
Yes?

ANGELINA:
What if he was suffering from

the delusion that he's possessed?

Wouldn't he react in the same way?

XAVIER:
Admittedly, it's very easy to

confuse psychotic illness with possession.

It's up to the exorcist

to discern the difference.

WOMAN:
So how do you do that?

Well, there are many ways.

For example, paranoid schizophrenics

are not aware that they're deluded.

MICHAEL:
Neither are the possessed

while they're being possessed, are they?

But people who are possessed have

periods of lucidity. That's my point.

So do schizophrenics.

XAVIER:
One can't suddenly manifest

abilities simply because one is deluded.

The man on this tape is German.

How does he spontaneously speak Russian?

How could a boy in a village in Africa

found 400 miles from his home...

...claim that he was abducted by aliens?

It's just as unlikely.

But we're willing to call him crazy

and your German man not...

...because he believes in aliens,

not God.

XAVIER:
We're not here

to scrutinize religion with science.

The object of this course is to view

phenomena through the lens of faith.

So which do you believe in,

aliens or God?

The jury's out on both.

Interesting perspective for a priest.

I'm not a priest...

...yet.

So you're having a final fling

with atheism?

Well, I guess it's more like an

ex-girlfriend who keeps coming around.

WOMAN:
Angelina.

[IN ITALIAN] We are going to

the library. Are you joining us?

[SPEAKING IN ITALIAN]

XAVIER:

Thank you, gentlemen. See you at Mass.

Michael. Walk with me a moment.

I understand you were taught

by Father Matthew.

MICHAEL:
That's right.

XAVIER:
He's a dear friend.

We studied together at Loyola.

He's asked me to keep an eye on you.

He thinks you've got great potential.

MICHAEL:
That's a lot of pressure.

For both of us.

What do you think of the course so far?

To be honest, I don't know

what to make of it.

XAVIER:
I suspected as much.

Tell me, Michael, do you believe in sin?

Yeah, I just don't necessarily believe

the devil makes us do it.

He that committeth sin is of the devil.

Then that'd be all of us, wouldn't it?

And if we're all of the devil,

how do we fight him?

Tomorrow, I recommend you take

your doubts for a walk around Rome.

You can pay a visit

to an old friend of mine.

Father Lucas?

He's Welsh. Jesuit.

His methods are a little less orthodox.

Studied under

Father Carmine De Filippis.

MICHAEL:
I don't know what that means.

-It means he knows his stuff.

He'll be happy to provide you with

the kind of proof you seem to need.

Excuse me, I have a Mass to say.

[BELL TOLLING]

[CATS MEOWING]

[MEOWS]

Jesus.

[MAN SPEAKS IN ITALIAN]

MICHAEL:
Father Lucas?

-Yes?

Hi. I'm Michael Kovak.

-Oh. You're the American.

-Yeah.

-You don't like cats?

-Not particularly.

Welcome to Rome.

It's infested with cats.

I've tried giving them names

but it's pointless.

A cat won't come no matter what

you call it. They do as they please.

Anyway, welcome.

Make sure they don't come in.

MICHAEL:
No. Hey, hey.

Father Xavier tells me you're troubled.

I don't think Father Xavier

explained the situation.

He explained it well enough.

I've arranged for you to meet someone.

[KNOCKING]

Speak of the devil.

[LUCAS SPEAKING IN ITALIAN]

[ADRIANA & ROSARIA SPEAKING IN ITALIAN]

[IN ITALIAN] God bless you, Father,

thank you for seeing us.

LUCAS [IN ITALIAN]:

There's no need to thank me.

Put it in the kitchen.

[BOTH SPEAK IN ITALIAN]

LUCAS:
Sit down.

ROSARIA [IN ITALIAN]: Have you fed them?

LUCAS:
No, they don't need feeding.

ROSARIA:

Lucia. Gabriella. Dante. Federico.

[SPEAKING IN ITALIAN]

ROSARIA:
Where's Hermione?

LUCAS:
Come now.

ROSARIA:
No. I want to see Hermione.

After. Come.

[SPEAKING IN ITALIAN]

to help me. I'll need to absolve you first.

MICHAEL:
Help with what?

The exorcism. What do you think?

Or you can stay down here

with her aunt.

That could be fun.

It's up to you.

Whatever you do, don't address the girl

directly, no matter what she says.

And if I ask you to hold her down...

...it's best you grab her arms

from behind...

...and try keeping her

in a seated position.

The spirit is pretty devious.

Hasn't shown itself yet.

-The spirit?

LUCAS:
Yes. Spirit.

Demon. The devil.

If it hasn't shown itself,

how do you know she's possessed?

All right, give me something,

anything that's yours.

Put it in this.

What is it, a dollar bill?

Come on, do it. Quickly.

It's for your benefit.

What else?

Oh, yes. It's Michael, isn't it?

I absolve you of any sins you may

have committed now or in the past...

...in the name of the Father,

Son and Holy Spirit.

-Amen.

-All right, come on.

Oh, yes, one other thing. If it does manifest,

don't even look into the girl's eyes.

Whatever you do, do not address it.

Do not speak to it. It's the devil.

-Leave that to me. Do you understand?

-Cool.

-Do you understand?

-Yeah, I get it.

Well, just say so.

Bow your head, keep praying

and good luck.

LUCAS [IN ITALIAN]: How are you?

The same.

LUCAS:
Have you eaten?

What about your baby?

You need to eat.

Um....

[IN ITALIAN]

What's happened since Tuesday?

ROSARIA:
It won't stop now.

Even when I sleep it talks.

[SPEAKS IN ITALIAN]

[CHUCKLES]

Now she's gonna guess what's in the bag.

Rosaria?

[IN ITALIAN] See the bag?

[ROSARIA SPEAKS IN ITALIAN]

Tell me what's in it.

How could I know that?

Then I want you to guess.

I don't know.

Clear your mind and guess.

It's not a test. Just guess.

I don't want to.

I'm ordering you to guess! Guess!

[SPEAKS IN ITALIAN]

There you are.

Knowledge of the unknowable.

It's the quickest test for possession.

The devil is working in and through her

right now.

Okay.

Uh....

[IN ITALIAN]

Did it tell you what was in the bag?

[ROSARIA SPEAKING IN ITALIAN]

Is it talking now?

What's it saying?

Disgusting things.

It's important you tell me.

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