Exorcist: The Beginning

Factual error: In the very beginning of the film, the priest is walking through a battlefield that contains the bodies of Roman soldiers (they are wearing distinctive Roman uniforms and armor), which dates the battle no later than 6th century AD. He is holding a rosary in his hand, but the rosary wasn't introduced into the Catholic Church until the 13th century.

Factual error: Father Gionetti gives Father Merrin a copy of the Rituale Romanum (Roman Ritual). (The administration of exorcism is in Title X of the Rituale Romanum.) The title of the book embossed on its leather cover is "Roman Ritual", in English. Later in the film, Father Merrin asks Joseph to help him by reading passages of the book, and we are shown a couple of printed pages, the text of which is also in English. The Rituale Romanum would have been printed in Latin in 1949, when the film is set, because non-Latin translations of liturgical texts were not authorized until the promulgation of the Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy) by Pope Paul VI on December 4, 1963, as part of the Second Vatican Council.

Onesimos

Continuity mistake: In the original film, several priests discuss who should do the exorcism. Merrin was chosen because he had experience (supposedly this film), and that the exorcism lasted a month and it nearly killed him. In this film, the exorcism appeared to have lasted only a few hours and, although I'm sure he was in very real danger, he didn't seem the worse for wear after it was over.

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Trivia: Stellan Skarsgard, at age 53 when filming this movie, is nearly a decade older than Max von Sydow was at the time of filming the original movie (age 44), but is playing a younger version of the character.

Macalou

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Question: Is there anyone who knows the English translation for the latin that Merrin speaks to Sara right after she dies in the end?

Answer: I do. It's just the Latin form of the Ritual Absolution in the Initial Rites from the Mass, applied to the second singular person (it is said with "us", instead of "you"), though it should not be used there with Sarah. In those situations, the proper absolution is the one that belongs to the Sacrament of Reconciliation or, instead, a simple blessing. The translation is: May Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive your sins and lead you to eternal life.

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