Eureka: Stigmata

[cdnchris]

Stigmata

I was trying to figure out if it was another movie with the same name as the Gabriel Byrne one, but nope, it's that one. What an odd one to license (I'm assuming it's still MGM overseas)

Stigmata, on the other hand, looks terrible.

It certainly is.

[domino harvey]

My thoughts from seeing it a few years ago

Stigmata (Rupert Wainwright 1999) Shot and edited like a Marilyn Manson music video, this overly busy and confused Nth attempt at replicating the Exorcist plays fast and loose with all manner of Catholic doctrines (but I guess 1999 was the chic year for that), and yet… I kinda found myself enjoying this just a little in-spite of how frequently I lost my patience with its never-ending supply of drippy water inserts and the occasional demonic possession (?). I do think the film presents an intriguing premise that gets bogged down in all the conspiracy theories and flashy late-90s filmmaking style crutches-- If anyone, much less a non-believer, began exhibiting spontaneous and violently occurring signs of the stigmata, what kind of effect would that have on the victim and their immediate surroundings (friends, job, day-to-day activities)? I'd love to see whatever film this once was before it was rewritten to death into its present condition.

[cdnchris]

It's pretty much a loud mess, making little sense once all is revealed. Sadly I preferred the other Byrne demon movie from the same period, End of Days because only Arnie would think of taking out Satan with a grenade launcher.

[tenia]

I still remember the mess End of Days (and its stupid oh so stupid finale) is, so I guess I'd prefer Stigmata over it.

[willoneill]

I've never seen Stigmata, but I do know that seeing it made a friend from high school convert to Catholicism (he got baptized and everything).

[rapta]

I saw it the other day (it's currently on Netflix UK), and have to say it's pretty terrible. Definitely agree with the sentiment that it's often edited like a Marilyn Manson video, and the plot is so confused/confusing. As some kind of Catholic allegory it's a bit of a joke, and not nearly as entertaining as The Exorcist (but then what is?).

However, I reckon it could be enjoyed on a tongue-in-cheek level, or at least for Gabriel Byrne's solid performance (he's rarely bad, even in shockingly bad films...okay, actually The Keep comes to mind). I enjoyed it most when the film started to resemble some sort of 'papal thriller' which deserved to have spawned some sort of subgenre (titles such as Bourne Again or Léon Morin: The Professional could have been a start).

[lzx]

Blu-ray.com awards the film 4.5 stars.

[tenia]

"by bringing together a fascinating mix of truths, half-truths and myths, the film very effectively targets viewers that like to question the common logic that actually defines them as such."

Yeah because throwing a bunch of real and false stuff always made the viewer questioning the definition of what's true and what's made up.