Deliver Us from Evil (2006)
Deliver Us from Evil (2006) 7/10
I love the poster for the movie, which was nominated for a Best Documentary Oscar. It is a powerful and searing indictment of the Catholic Church on the problem of clergy abuse of young children. This excellent documentary ( which is at 100% on RT) follows the story of a priest named Oliver O’Grady, a pedophile who molested and raped many children during his time as a priest. This documentary is different because it actually got to interview O’Grady himself, which is very rare because most perpetrators would not agree to be featured in a movie. Perhaps rather surprisingly, O’Grady doesn’t quite look the part of a leery sex offender. Instead, he looks the part of an unassuming man who speaks in pleasant tones and it is easy to see how he could have played the role of a pious priest to the hilt. But behind this avuncular demeanor hides a very dark heart.
What is more shocking and horrifying however, is the actions of the men at the top and how top church officials have consistently been in denial. As early as the 1970s, there were allegations against O’Grady, but the church’s response has been denial and coverup. Instead of dismissing the priest, the church chose to move the disgraced priest to another area where he could again continue his crimes. The victims tell an emotional tale of how the church has systematically betrayed their trust, and of the deep scarring that continues to this day. More than anything, it is telling of the deep, endemic flaws of the church system and how the patriarchal hierarchy remains resolutely in denial. It is criminal negligence of the highest order. This is a film that demands to to watched and a cautionary tale of how an institution of faith can become an institution of oppression.
“Watching Amy Berg’s powerful documentary “Deliver Us from Evil” is a wrenching experience; her subjects reveal to the camera almost unbearable levels of anguish, and its audience walks away feeling both numbness and rage.”- Seattle Times
“The church declined to comment to Berg. Her film speaks volumes about its silence — and about a wrong that can never be righted.”- San Francisco Chronicle
“In “Deliver Us From Evil,” a literally stunning documentary by Amy Berg, a former priest and convicted pedophile, Oliver O’Grady, faces the camera and confesses his sins in bland, lilting tones that betray a continued befuddlement with his wayward self. Confession may have been good for his soul, but for no one else’s.”- Wall Street Journal
