A review of William Peter Blatty's 1973 religious horror, The Exorcist.
In Iraq, a priest (Father Merrin) battles a demon, who later possesses a young girl (Regan) in Washington. The girl's mother, a famous actress (Chris MacNeil), who is only in town for a movie shoot, gets worried when her daughter gets sicker and sicker. After finding that the standard medical care cannot help her daughter and learning that she might have killed a family friend (Burke Dennings), which spawns the curiosity of an old detective (William Kinderman), she seeks religious help. Specifically, she seeks out a priest (Father Karras) with a fading faith to perform a seldom-performed exorcism on her daughter. Father Merrin is called in to perform the exorcism with the aid of Father Karras.
Loosely based on a true story, "The Exorcist" is a staple for every horror fan, and even those who do not like horror, call this one of the scariest movies ever made. It is a rite of passage for anyone who loves to be scared out of his or her wits. Being about demons, God, and using foul language toward God has caused this to be a very controversial film with the Catholic Church and preachers, like Billy Graham. Most of the controversy exists at the time of its original release. "The Exorcist," while still somewhat controversial, has faded from the public's sight as a controversial film. The original points of contention with the film are distorted by people focusing on the story as blasphemous toward God. However, this is far from author William Peter Blatty's intention. Blatty's story, more so in the novel, is supposed to be a journey of faith of all of the characters and, in the end, the triumph of good over evil. If anything, it promotes the idea of God in all of our eyes.
To most viewers, the positive aspects of the story are overshadowed by the horror and absolutely terrifying appearance of Regan in her exorcist guise. Those eyes and voice are enough to give most people nightmares. The book focuses on the philosophical issues and it is, by far, not as scary as the visuals and audio of the movie. Either way, it has something for everyone.
Why is "The Exorcist" so scary? Firstly, the visuals created by the special effects are probably the most prominent reason for most people. No one can argue that Regan's exorcist face is one of the scariest faces ever seen in a movie, or anywhere for that matter. Secondly, the voice of the exorcist is another truly eerie aspect. No one can forget her raspy voice. Thirdly, the foul language uttered by the exorcist, which while it will not force some to bat an eyelash, some people will feel a bit awkward to hear such crude language in the context of which it is spoken here. Finally, some viewers will find the idea of being possessed by a demon or anyone or anything truly terrifying.
The basic story is easy to follow which makes for a smooth flowing experience. It is a bit slow-paced for first half but it works to build a growing sense of an approaching evil that slowly consumes its victim like a hideous virus. The character development of Chris MacNeil, Regan's mother, and Regan is terrific. It allows us to see one mother's growing loss of hope due to her inability to help her child. Powerful stuff! We also see Father Karras' journey from being on the brink of completely losing his faith in God to giving his life in the name of God. Another powerful thing. The book shows more about Det. Lt. William Kinderman's own battles as well, but it is not shown her as much. (See "Exorcist 3" for more on Kinderman's life.)
All of the actors are perfect and very professional. Jason Miller plays Father Damien Karras, Ellen Burstyn plays Chris MacNeil, Max von Sydow plays Father Lankester Merrin, Lee J. Cobb plays Det. Lt. William F. Kinderman, and Linda Blair plays Regan MacNeil. These are the stars of the movie and each does his or her part to make a truly believable cast of characters.
The special effects are fantastic even by today's standards. There is very little blood or gore. Both are present but are not gory - gross maybe due to their context but not gory like "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." The highlight is definitely Regan's exorcist head, which is quite a disturbing thing. The bed jumping, Regan levitating, the infamous spider walk scene, and others device help create more terror.
The music is perfect. Who can forget the theme song, "Tubular Bells"? That will go down in the cinematic history of theme songs.
The atmosphere is a thing of beauty. Everything from the acting to the visuals, the music, the ideas all act to create a tour-de-force of creepy terror. Great directing by William Friedkin; every scene is setup to show horror - even the most subtle scenes.
"The Exorcist" is truly a classic horror film that will also make you think about your life and life in general. Watch it for the horror. Watch it for the acting. Watch it for the exorcist face. Watch it for the philosophy. Just be sure to watch it! NOTE: For the most terror, watch it alone with the lights out.
Watch "The Exorcist 4," "The Exorcist," and "The Exorcist 3" in that order for the complete chronological saga. Skip part two, as it is not relevant to the trilogy. According to Blatty, the trilogy is "The Exorcist," "The Exorcist 3," and "The Ninth Configuration," which is not a horror.
