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Title:
Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist: Widescreen Edition
Region:
One
Genre:
Horror
Stars:
Stellan Skarsgard, Gabriel Mann, Clara Bellar, Billy Crawford, and Ralph Brown
Writers:
William Wisher and Caleb Carr
Director:
Paul Schrader
Feature
length: 116 minutes
Extras:
Audio Commentary By Director Paul Schrader, Deleted Scenes, Still Gallery
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Subtitles:
English Closed Captions and English, French, and Spanish Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 28
Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 2005/DVD Release: 2005
Theatrical
Distributor: Warner Brothers
Home
Video Distributor: Warner Home Video
MPAA
Rating: R
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
“Dominion:
Prequel To The Exorcist” is Paul Schrader’s original feature film that was
shelved and literally remade by Renny Harlin featuring much of the same cast and
released theatrically last year as “The Exorcist: The Beginning.” Later
“Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist” was given some screenings at film
festivals and finally granted a limited theatrical release by Warner Brothers.
Now I really do not know all of reasons why the events surrounding the
production of this film occurred as they did so I will not go into it. All I can
say is that if anything Warner Home Video’s “Dominion: Prequel To The
Exorcist: Widescreen Edition” DVD gives viewers the opportunity to compare
both films and decide for themselves which version they like better as well as
see which areas the different adaptations seem to improve upon the basic story
premise in. I think the target audience of the films will greatly determine
which of the films viewers will prefer. “Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist”
leaves certain elements more to the imagination of the viewer and is definitely
more of a psychological horror film than “The Exorcist: The Beginning.”
Ultimately the disadvantage “Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist” has is that
it is following on the heels of “The Exorcist: The Beginning” and thus if
one saw Renny Harlin’s film first, they might feel biased. Personally I have
to say there are elements in both films that I like and both films have problems
in remarkably the same area, which is Father Merrin’s (Stellan Skarsgard)
final confrontation with the possessed soul in the film. Harlin started off the
confrontation well, but ultimately I felt that aspects of it reminded me a bit
too much of “The Evil Dead Trilogy” when I should have been enthralled and
terrified by the exorcism. I could almost imagine Bruce Campbell as “Ash”
popping out at the last moment in Harlin’s film to give the possessed soul a
fist full of “boom stick.” Schrader’s confrontation works on some levels,
particularly the temptation to accept absolution of guilt from the Devil carried
by the character through reliving the terrible “Sophie’s Choice” like
tragedy during the Holocaust and giving Merrin the opportunity to realize that
he was in a no win situation either way.
The
irony that Satan offers absolution to the priest might seem perverted, but it is
thought provoking. One might say Satan is the ultimate Psychologist in that
context. Unfortunately there is something about the confrontation in
Schrader’s film that lacks any real terror for the viewer. Now if I were
anywhere with a possessed soul or whatnot, I’d be more than scared, but the
action onscreen as it is portrayed is just not deep enough to disturb me as a
viewer and the makeup and budget effects take away from the experience rather
than enhance it. Skarsgard is the strongest element in the film. If he were not
there the whole film would have collapsed. One creepy scene involving cattle
eating coyotes looks so fake it should have never been in the film to begin
with. I get the sense that Schrader was pulled into two directions at once. I
think he wanted to make a film where much of the horror was unseen and cerebral,
but felt he had to throw in some visuals because it was expected of him. Harlin
had the advantage of knowing what was expected and not being torn between two
different styles of filmmaking so ultimately I think “The Exorcist: The
Beginning” is the better of the two films as a result. Another problem with
“Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist” is that it has an ending that feels too
clean if not upbeat given the subject matter. Say what you want about Harlin’s
cinematic take on the story, but one of the aspects I liked about “The
Exorcist: The Beginning” was that Harlin did not pull any punches when it came
to the price for Merrin’s rediscovery of his faith and ultimate confrontation
as the exorcist. That is what both films are really about. This is the story of
how Father Merrin got is faith back and developed the notoriety that will
eventually lead him into the events of the original film.
Ralph
Brown, an English character actor who I enjoy seeing a lot on TV and in feature
films, begins the film as a bit of hardass and racist British officer who
resents Merrin’s involvement in the whole touchy situation between the
discovery of the church and the local African tribe’s fears regarding it. Yet
at the end of the film he might as well have kissed Father Merrin on the cheek
and whispered something his ear because the 180-degree character turnaround just
doesn’t work for me regardless if everyone was being influenced to do violent
acts by the evil forces or not. I just don’t believe it.
Where
“Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist” perhaps suffers the most is in that
there are really no surprises or misdirection to fool the viewers into thinking
one thing is happening when it is really another. Especially if you have already
seen “The Exorcist: The Beginning” then you already have a basic idea of the
story setup, but little else. Both films don’t seem to share any continuity
with “The Exorcist II: The Heretic” either and that might be a good thing
since at the very least I’d say they are both better than that film though
I’m not entirely sure whether or not I think they are as good as “The
Exorcist III: Legion.”
My
recommendation is as follows, if you have not seen “The Exorcist: The
Beginning” and want to see both films, watch Paul Schrader’s “Dominion:
Prequel To The Exorcist: Widescreen Edition” DVD first because then the story
as a whole will be new to some extent and then watch Renny Harlin’s “The
Exorcist: The Beginning: Widescreen Edition” DVD afterwards because it is
interesting to see how two filmmaker’s can take the same basic story paradigm
and make it their own and in some ways I think Harlin’s film lends more
resonance to Schrader’s after the fact. If you have already seen “The
Exorcist: The Beginning” rent “Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist” anyway
for the reasons I have stated above and think of both prequels as two versions
of a same story told over and over again. Who knows which version is more
accurate than the other? Plus at the very least you can decide for yourself not
only which version you prefer, but also what elements in either version you
prefer as well. It is a rare opportunity to be able to see two different
versions of the same story paradigm produced on film and it is especially rare
when after a film is shelved, that both versions are made readily available
legally by the studio for consumers to see back to back in less than year’s
time of their respective home video debut. Of course you never know, maybe that
was the plan after all? Make two different versions of the same story, shelve
one and release the other and then leak out some controversy between the films
and then make the shelved one available less than a year after the studio’s
preferred release. That kind of publicity can sell more tickets and DVDs than
advertising one or the other alone…
Warner
Home Video’s “Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist: Widescreen Edition” DVD
is presented in a matted widescreen aspect ratio that is approximately (1.85:1)
and enhanced for 16 by 9 televisions. The transfer is fine overall, but not as
sharp as one might expect from a Warner Home Video DVD release of a new film.
The English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack is fine though not
particularly outstanding either. When I note this I mean that the basic surround
channels are discreet, but the volume level seemed slightly lower than normal
and there was not enough of a jolt to the overall fidelity of the soundtrack.
Therefore the necessary aspects of sound that could have punched up the
atmosphere of the film are lacking. English Closed Captions and English, French,
and Spanish Language Subtitles are encoded onto the dual layered disc as options
too. Paul Schrader’s feature audio commentary track is detailed, but quite
honestly he’s dull to listen to. There are a few interesting tidbits here and
there regarding the cinematography, the on location shooting in Rome and Morocco
as well as his own insight into the subtle meaning behind the images that are
interesting. Unfortunately he just doesn’t seem very into the subject matter
he is discussing. He lacks enthusiasm. Schrader notes recording his commentary
in February of 2005 and discusses the various inspirations he used to suggest
things in the film. Films of the 1940s inspired the nightmare or dream images
and he seems to make a point of discussing the images of the paintings within
the church and a point of view he tries to bring across with the nature of Satan
as being one that offers freedom in exchange for obedience. He never says the
word “obedience” in the commentary and he never exactly explains what he
means by “freedom,” except in the context of Father Merrin’s own guilt
over the “Sophie’s Choice” type situation he was placed by the Nazi’s in
the film’s opening scene. Philosophically
there could be a lot more to what he is implying, but it is also so easy to read
into something the wrong way by filling in the blanks based on what one might
want or believe the imagery to mean. So I hesitate to suggest anything that
Schrader is implying because I simply do not want to put words in his mouth that
he never said.
There
are also six letterboxed deleted scenes that can be viewed individually or by
using a “Play All” option (5:21). A short still gallery sums up the extra
value materials on this DVD. The menus are all standard interactive still frames
that are easy to navigate. “Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist: Widescreen
Edition” is available on DVD-Video now at retailers on and offline courtesy of
Warner Home Video.
©
Copyright 2005 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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