MovieChat Forums > Incubus (1966) Discussion > Incubus' Catholic Theology

Incubus' Catholic Theology

posted 18 years ago by ne-19
6 replies | jump to latest

I thought it was unusual that the moral world of the film's characters seems to have been lifted from Catholic theology. I'm primarily referring to the senior succubus warning that Marc was in a state of grace (so that killing him would send him to heaven), and that committing an unrepented serious sin (murder) would cause him to go to hell. Seeing as how the plot (and his soul!) basically hangs on Marc deciding to have pre-marital sex or not, the definition of good and evil is very clear cut and arguably very Catholic. Plus, the characters definitely appear to be Catholic. In fact, at the end of the film I was somewhat expecting him to try to go to confession for killing the Incubus (but maybe just running to the church symbolically serves the same purpose).

Although I know the Catholic church back then had a lot of say in film censoring back then, I still find it unusual to see this theology simply assumed as a premise in a Hollywood movie. Perhaps this was the most easily accessible moral system for the film writer at the time, back when these values weren't so anathema to the popular culture. Thus, I'm not trying to argue this movie is a "Catholic" movie... but my main question is: am I off-base here and does that seem unusual to see this in a movie not specifically trying to officially push a "Catholic" viewpoint?

Also, is it me or did the main succubus (Allyson Ames) really not try very hard to seduce Marc? One would assume a succubus (a sex demon) would have more tricks to appeal to a man's lust. Maybe she just wasn't very good at it... :)

[–] dibenj 18 years ago

Are you forgetting that "The Exorcist" also had very Catholic themes as well? If a filmmaker is going to explore a belief system, don't you think they should try to stay somewhat true to the tenets of that system? I don't think this film was censored as there was no need for it. There have been many other films that delved into Catholicism, devil-worship, etc. since then, not to "push" a certain viewpoint, but to expose the audience to cultural and religious beliefs.

And yes, she could have tried harder, but I think that would have earned the film an R rating. Remember, PG-13 didn't come out until the 70's. Seriously, I think the point was that the good in Marco was too strong for her to overcome.

[–] scotbpens 16 years ago

"And yes, she could have tried harder, but I think that would have earned the film an R rating."

The MPAA rating system didn't exist until four years after Incubus was made. According to the IMDB Parents' Guide, the DVD release of Incubus is still unrated.

All the universe . . . or nothingness. Which shall it be, Passworthy? Which shall it be?

[–] dvd123 18 years ago

I think anytime you find demons in a film, you're likely to find a lot of Catholic theology.

[–] scotbpens 16 years ago

"Although I know the Catholic church back then had a lot of say in film censoring back then, I still find it unusual to see this theology simply assumed as a premise in a Hollywood movie."

Although the MPAA's Production Code Administration worked closely with the Legion of Decency (later renamed the National Catholic Office for Motion Pictures) from the 1930s through the 1950s, by the mid-1960s the church had virtually zero influence on the content of American movies. By that time the Production Code itself had become out-of-step with the times, though technically the Code remained in effect until the rating system was created in 1969.

All the universe . . . or nothingness. Which shall it be, Passworthy? Which shall it be?

[–] rdoyle29 15 years ago

That's not really right. Earning a condemnation from the League of Decency had the potential to lose a film a sizeable portion of its audience, so even in the 1960s, a lot of filmmakers would negotiate with the League over a film's content. For example, they were consulted on the content of "Lolita".

[–] WarpedRecord 15 years ago

Correct. We live in an era when controversy sells a film and pretty much anything goes onscreen and online -- certainly compared with 1965. The League of Decency instilled fear in theater owners and guilt in audiences well into the 1960s.

It wasn't until the late '60s and early '70s that films like "Midnight Cowboy" and "The Exorcist" drew audiences despite the church's condemnation -- or maybe because of it, with people wanting to see for themselves what the moral guardians said they shouldn't. The social and sexual revolution of the eras took hold in filmgoers, and the church lost its power (and, later, much of its credibility, but that's another matter).