Libera Te Tutemet Ex Inferis: Event Horizon’s Latin Quote Translated & Explained

Event Horizon has emerged in recent years as a cult classic; audiences have grown to appreciate the movie’s adventurous mix of demonic horror and hard science-fiction, which turned off critics upon its initial release. One of the most famous parts of the film involved the use of the Latin phrase “libera te tutemet ex inferis,” meaning “save yourself from hell.” It’s utilized as an ominous warning to whoever sought out the doomed crew of the titular spaceship, the Event Horizon, and enunciates the religious themes and imagery that the film has become especially noted for.

Latin is a popular choice of horror filmmakers to add a dose of foreboding to their tales of demonic possession. From Reagan’s menacing growls in The Exorcist to the iconic “Ave Satani” theme from The Omen, the ancient language of the Catholic Church has been used in horror movies so many times that it has become an exorcism movie trope. However, Event Horizon occupies a unique space in culture as one of the only films to combine this type of satanic subgenre with cosmic horror. The use of Latin is one of the myriad ways in which director Paul W. S. Anderson helps to bridge the gap between these two types of terror.

There are multiple instances of religious imagery and references throughout the film. The exterior of the Event Horizon ship itself is modeled after the Notre-Dame, while the interior architecture mimics a church. There are long, spacious corridors with curved, column-like walls that make the ship’s walkways feel like a nave, and the main control room where the crew’s log is found is like an altar complete with a podium in the middle. Perhaps the most explicit piece of set design is the room’s glass window in the shape of a cross, resembling both a crucifix and the stained-glass of a Gothic cathedral.

The Meaning Behind Event Horizon’s Latin Quote

The Latin is thus a way of furthering this symbolism, letting the audience know that the purity of the ship has been corrupted by an evil, outside entity. The captain of the Event Horizon signs off his logs with a Latin phrase, but none are as ominous as the one he utters amidst the tortured screams on the recording discovered by the main characters. At first, the message is interpreted as “Libera te me,” a command to anyone picking up the distress signal to “save me,” which spurs the crew of the rescue ship to investigate further. However, the revelation of the full phrase reveals that the crew is in mortal danger, amping up the tension by hinting that the ship opened a portal in space to a hell dimension.

The phrase could have actually been shortened to “Libera te ex inferis,” which can be translated the same way the full phrase in the film is. However, the “tutemet” acts as an emphatic word to accentuate the “yourself” part of the sentence. It makes the line sound more dramatic, even if it is slightly redundant, and allows for the confusion at the beginning of the discovery. Without the addition of the extra word, the translator would not have made the mistake that eventually leads to a crucial part of the film’s building of terror and suspense.

The syntax of the message shows the detail that Anderson and screenwriter Philip Eisner were committed to while working on Event Horizon. At first criticized for its schlock and muddled mystery, horror fans have grown a greater appreciation to the film’s inventive blend of genres. Placing supernatural elements in a sci-fi setting makes Event Horizon unique, and the Latin transmission is one of the most chilling moments of sound design in the movie.

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