I have to admit that I have never watched someone throw a dead cat at someone else in a film before. I'm not sure if the dead cat was a metaphor for something or other, because The Demon struck me as one of those horror films that has one foot stuck in the Art-house, so everything may just represent something else.What I gathered from the film is that the populace of rural Italy are a very superstitious bunch who are not very good at coping when one of their own exhibits the signs of severe mental illness. I'm guessing these days if someone had walked in on young Purif piercing her chest with a needle, gathering the blood in cotton, then burning it, then giving it to a young man to drink in some wine, they may have called in a Doctor rather than accuse her of being a witch.The young man in question is Antonio (Wolff) and he is due to marry a more stable girl, much to Purif's dismay. Purif doesn't do herself any favours however by giving Antonio the wine, watches him drink it, then shouts something like "Ha! You're drinking my blood!" It may surprise you that Antonio goes ahead with the wedding anyway.The director here goes out of his way to show that the people in this village have just as many strange routines as Purif, from hiding a blessed scythe under Antonio's wedding bed, or shouting at an oncoming storm to break and feed the crops with rain. Not a lot goes right for these folks and naturally they begin blaming the wild eyed girl who goes around saying she has a demon inside her.I guess the question is: Does Purif have a demon in her? Antonio wakes up covered in boils, the candles in the church start burning low, a boy is found drowned and the last person to see him was Purif. I'd probably know the answer but the only word I understood during the final narrative was the word 'free'.This is a good film that leaves it up to you to decide if it's a horror or not. There's plenty of scenes that must have shocked way back then (Purif's raped twice by dirty old men, she does a crazy spider walk while being exorcised, also tries to strangle a nun), so I'm not sure why this one is so obscure.

Barely seen, underrated and overwhelming, this is an astonishing film anticipating The Exorcist by ten years yet having within it several key elements, not least the most incredible and prolonged spider walk - in a church! The black and white photography is wonderful, the soundtrack spot on, the dialogue excellent and the central performance of the possessed one, by Daliah Lavi, is hypnotic. After the opening sequence where we see her jerk her head at a sound within the house and pass her hair across her face I feel like applauding but consider it a little premature. No worry, there is not a scene in this film that does not astound or disturb. From the wondrous performance of the aforementioned Ms Lavi, the perfectly good support, or lack of, from Frank Wolff, to the fearful villagers and the daunting landscape, this is near perfect film making.

Daliah Lavi plays Purificazione,a young woman who after having her amorous advances rejected by young man in her town resorts to witchcraft to try and win him over.When the townsfolk realise what she is doing everything untoward that happens is blamed on her.Soon they have her pegged as being possessed by a demon and an exorcism is carried out in the local church..."The Demon" by Brunello Rondi is an overlooked Italian horror film from early 60's with excellent central performance of Dalilah Lavi.The infamous 'spider walk' across the church floor scene obviously inspired William Peter Blatty's "The Exorcist".The climax is tragic and unforgettable.8 exorcists out of 10.

I saw the 94 minute version. I don't understand Italian, so most of the dialogue was lost on me, but the film is still pretty easy to follow. I'm rather surprised no one has pointed out the similarities to "The Exorcist" yet. There's no mention of Blatty in the credits, yet you'll see many familiar scenarios: wild-eyed and mussed hair girl, spewing venomous cursing in a hoarse voice at the priest who brandishes a cross. Writhing in pain as an invisible force inflicts injury (and implied sexual assault). The famous pose of Linda Blair...on her knees on her bed, reaching up as if in pain as Pazuzu's statue envelopes her in light...is almost a perfect copy of a pose Dahlia Lavi strikes as the priest attempts to exorcise the demon in her in the church. The spitting in the face of the priest (sorry, no jet stream of bile). The reptilian-like tongue flicking out (in blasphemy to the cross)... For crying out loud, she even does the spider walk (!) while in the church. While most these scenes are considerably tamer and more subdued than the excesses seen in "The Exorcist", they are effectively creepy at times, especially the aforementioned "spider walk" scene. Lavi is actually a very beautiful woman, and while never really sporting any "scary" makeup, her expressions convey the demon inside her nearly as well as the creepy makeup effects used with Linda Blair. This movie precedes The Exorcist by 10 years, and I imagine it must have been pretty shocking in it's day.I gave this film 5 stars only because i couldn't understand the dialogue. I suppose it could rise or fall either way depending on what is actually said. No fan of "The Exorcist" should miss this movie, simply to see all the similarities. Was "Il Demonio" a heavy influence for the makers of "The Exorcist"? Methinks so,... but see it,and judge for yourself.