The Real Evil Lurking Within: Tokenization, Exotification, and Racism in the Subtext of 'The Possession (2012)'

Taken at face value, The Possession (2012) is a classic example of a Hollywood horror film, as it hits a fair number of tropes in the possession subcategory; an otherwise 'ordinary' white nuclear family left to grapple with the sudden, uncharacteristic, and dangerous change in one of their children (usually, it is the benevolent, gentle, and endearing white daughter). 

    The film depicts spiritual/metaphysical elements of a non-WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) culture and portrays these elements in a manner which seeks to exotify or sensationalize. Yes, the dibbuk box was of Jewish origin, so including parts of Jewish tradition in the narrative was necessary to make this film both plausible and believable. However, it may be worthwhile to consider:

    1) Why was a dibbuk box in particular chosen to be the main conduit for horror in this film? 

    2) Why was Judaism discussed or portrayed only in relation to the demonic circumstances at hand? 

    3) Why was Apyzou's dialogue transcribed in the subtitles as [unintelligible whispering], rather than a direct translation? If it was the film's intention to leave these words purposefully obscured, why? 

    4) Why did Clyde (the dad) need to seek help from the Hasidic community in particular -- a branch of orthodox Judaism viewed by western goyim as "traditional" or, less kindly, "other," or even "backwards"? 

    5) Why couldn't Clyde's family have been Jewish? Why couldn't it have been a demon from a Christian tradition? Would either of these alterations change how 'scary' this film is? Why? 

    All of these are questions alluding to the main issue with not only the writing and execution, but the very concept of the film itself: the exotification and subsequent (literal) demonization of Judaism & its portrayal as, at best, a strange, foreign, yet ultimately benign and subservient token minority (as symbolized by Tzadok), or at worst, a danger that can be tracked into your home and influence your children in ways that you are unable to comprehend or control (as symbolized by Abyzou). The irony of this dichotomy is that it isn't a dichotomy at all; both Tzadok and Abyzou are Jewish, both are used as tools to strengthen the bond of the white nuclear family, solidifying their connection to each other whilst simultaneously drawing clear cut lines between what should be viewed as normal, safe, or right (the white nuclear family reunited as one), and what is abnormal, unfamiliar, or 'other' (Judaism). Tzadok is not even thanked for risking his life to exorcize Abyzou. And then he is killed rather unceremoniously. In the final shots of the film, we do not see Tzadok's corpse, or even a stray lamb dangling out of his totaled car; the first and last on-screen depictions of Jewishness in The Possession are an evil, child-killing demon. 

Also interesting to note are the only depictions of black people in The Possession being 1) basketball players, and 2) a school teacher, who is the first character to die. It seems that this film hit all the best classic Hollywood horror tropes.