By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Hans-Christian Schmid
Starring: Burghart Klaußner | Imogen Kogge | Sandra Hüller
Country: germany
Year: 2006
Running time: 93
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454931/
Bruce says: “Films about illness and disability used to run the risk of being slotted into the ‘Ailment of the Week’ made-for-TV film category. That insult is mostly a thing of the past since television is now many times more respected than it once was. REQUIEM, too good a film to be tossed into such a bin, tells the true story of an epileptic and her decent into religion inspired desperation and madness. The film is based on the same series of incidents on which the screenplay for THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE was based.
“Sandra Hüller is brilliant as Michaela the epileptic girl who leaves home for the first time to attend university against the wishes of her mother (Imogen Kogge) and with secret help from her father (Burghart Klaußner). Her mother’s fears that she will be in over her head are prophetic. At school Michaela meets Hanna (Anna Blomeier) a girl from her home town who at first spurns her because of her secret illness that has been the subject of home town rumors. They become fast friends when Michaela supplies Hanna with answers during an exam. Michaela also meets Stephan (Nicholas Reinke) a wonderful boy who is crazy about her. As secure as she feels with the friendships and romance, Michaela cannot bring herself to discuss her epilepsy.
“Her trips back home are disastrous. On her first trip home for the weekend she goes with the family and their church group to the village of St. Carlo to see relics of Ste. Katrina. Moved by the religious experience and devastated over her mother’s cruel and undemonstrative behavior, Michaela forgets to take her pills and has an episode in the middle of the night. This is the beginning of her decline although she struggles to fight her disease with the help of Hanna and Stephan, once they pry the truth from her. At Christmastime, Michaela’s mother throws out her new clothes, calling her a filthy slut. Michaela’s friend Hanna is forbidden in their house because her father has a bad reputation. When she begins to hear voices, Michaela seeks help from her local priest who is ineffective and becomes angry. In a role reversal, Michaela challenges him with ‘You are angry because you are afraid.’
“Back at school Michaela still is not taking her medicine with regularity. When Stephan and Hanna realize that Michaela is beyond help, they take her back to her parents. Another priest is called in to perform exorcisms which are counterproductive. She eventually dies of exhaustion. It is difficult to believe Michaela would have met the same horrible fate had her illness been her only challenge, had her mother’s constant wrath and the profound dogma of the Catholic Church not been so stifling.
“The supporting roles are well cast and well acted. REQUIEM is an example of solid, albeit not dazzling filmmaking. 4 cats”