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Michaela makes repeated reference to a St. Katharina (Catherine, Catérina). There are several saints of this name; she is referring to St. Catherine of Siena (1347-80). The 24th of a family of 25, she became a Dominican Tertiary (nun) at a young age. Aged 19, she claimed to have experienced a "mystical marriage" with Jesus, who, in a vision, gave her a wedding ring made out his foreskin. He told her to renounce her cloistered existence and enter public life. She attained a reputation for piety, helping the sick and the poor, and she sent many letters to public figures, urging the return of the Pope to Rome from Avignon. She supported Urban VI after the 1378 Western Schism, and died aged 33 in 1380.It is clear that Michaela is referring to this Catherine as she refers to (1) her dying aged 33, (2) her achieving peace.
The film ends with just a simple title card, telling us that Michaela died after repeated exorcisms. There are several possible reasons for not showing this:1. Exorcism scenes, involving shouted prayers, Michaela kneeling for hours on end and praying, priests throwing holy water, would be unavoidably melodramatic, going against the far more reserved nature of the rest of the film. 2. Seeing Michaela smiling and hopeful as the last image of the film makes knowledge of her fate far more upsetting than if we had been shown her gradual deterioration and death. 3. The closing scenes present Michaela as a human being worthy of respect and love; exorcism scenes would reduce her to a passive victim to be pitied and sympathised with, but not really viewed as a person. 4. Michaela's mother receives a largely balanced portrayal - although strict and dogmatic, she shows obvious love and concern for her daughter. Reflecting in hindsight that she - and Michaela's father - permitted the exorcisms to take place, even after seeing their daughter's gradual loss of health, makes their actions seem even more abhorrent than if they had appeared on screen.
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