The Meaning of the Film

I heard about this movie years ago but I finally saw it for the first time on cable this weekend.

I think I actually understand it but I don't really see how most people would. I don't know if I'm completely right but this is how I understand it.

First you have to accept that everything this community and priest is teaching about the world, the flesh, and the devil is completely true. I don't think it is a mistake that the first half of the movie is mostly spent setting up the scene. At first I was wondering if the movie was just trying to expose what some of the most "fanatical" Christians believe, but I concluded that this is all part of the mythos of the movie. Just like to appreciate Star Wars, you have to accept that in the Star Wars universe "the force" is a real thing, in this movie you have to accept that demons are real, sin is real, and the devil is a real schemer.

The next thing to notice is that throughout most of the movie, it seems that Tommy is responsible for giving the demon its power through his sins, but in the plot summary it says, "But, he unknowingly has brought something with him, something evil." The "he" this reffers to is the priest, not the boy. The priest has in fact faught against this demon before and lost. I would therefore conclude that it is the priest's sins that are giving the demon its power, not the boy's. There are some clues to this effect like when the priest enters the chapel and sees blood on the floor and touches it with his hand, it disappears when Tommy speaks to him.

We never find out what the priest's sins are but disrespect for the girl, arrogance, pride, and hypocrisy are likely candidates. He also seems fixiated on the sins of the flesh so it would not be surprising if he struggled with them himself.

At the end of the movie, the priest is in a coma, and the camp councellor says, "God may heal him," which I think must refer mainly to the spiritual healing he so desperately needs.

I think the Tommy character is one that represents many people who had faith but abandoned it. They abandon it not because they find it untrue but because they find it too hard. Many have been hurt by the very people in their lives who are suppose to represent God's love to them, like parents or pastors.

The question came up more than once in the movie, if God is so good, why does He allow evil? It's a question the movie doesn't have an answer for, other than God's healing.