"The Exorcist" **** (out of ****)
When "The Exorcist" was first released it was damned by the Catholic church and even the Pope as a celebration of evil. Believers were told not to see the film. Many incidents on the set led several to believe the film was actually cursed. A mysterious fire destroyed the set causing it to be rebuilt. Director William Friedkin brought Reverend Bermingham to bless the set on several occasions. Actors associated with the film suddenly died before the film's released. Two of them include Jack MacGowran and Vasiliki Maliaros. There was even a urban legend that the celluloid was cursed itself and subliminal messages were being sent. A demon's face would flash across the screen. Of course it was revealed this was done deliberately by Friedkin. And finally there were stories that the novel which the film was based on, written by William Peter Blatty was based on a true story which took place in 1949, Maryland to a small boy.
All of this was the surrounding hype when the film opened, get this, on December 26, 1973! "The Exorcist" is the most frightening movie ever put on celluloid. It is the greatest horror film ever made. It is a movie which strikes a fear in me that no other film has ever been able to.
Horror like comedy is difficult to write. We all find different things scary. Many people find such films as "The Ring" scary. I do not. Is anyone right or wrong in this situation? It is subjective. But I think the reason so many people respond to "The Exorcist" is because it is not played for horror. It is played as drama. It is plausible. If we want to take this a step further and bring in a religious aspect, most Catholics believe in exorcisms. Catholics believe the devil is capable to possess a body. It is for that reason I have also considered it the scariest film ever made. It is based on my perception of reality. This could happen. Is there such a thing as Michael Myers or Jason? No, at least I don't think so. But is there such a thing as the devil? I think so.
A good number of people probably have some idea what the story is. The film starts off in Norther Iraq where a priest, Father Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow) is on an archaeological mission when he finds a strange stone, with the face of a creature on it.
The film then shifts to Georgetown where an actress, Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) is working on a film. But there is also another priest, Father Karras (Jason Miller) who is having problems with his faith after his mother (Vasiliki Maliaros) has died. He feels guilty since he was not with her at the end.
Events take another turn when Chris' daughter, Regan (Linda Blair) starts to behave differently. Chris is not a religious person. She turns to science for the answer. After a series of test and meetings with several doctors, none of whom can explain what is wrong with Regan, Chris then sends her to a psychiatrist. After that doesn't work Chris has to finally acknowledge her daughter is possessed by the devil.
Everything about the film is subtle. The film doesn't give cheap scares. Characters don't jump out from nowhere. Things aren't lurking around the background where others can't see them. The film portrays itself as a family drama.
The performances are effective and realistic. Burstyn gives a chilling performance as a woman who simply doesn't know where to turn to protect her daughter. Her lack of faith is to be tested. As for Blair much controversy surrounded her performance. Did the young girl realize what she was asked to do? Many people thought she was actually the one delivering the more explicit lines. She was not.
Another thing I like about the movie is religion is not presented as evil, especially the Catholic faith. I'm so sick and tired of Catholics taking a beating in movies. So many films present the believer as the problem, the villain. Here religion is the answer. To believe will save you.
I remember the first time I saw "The Exorcist". It was in my early teen years. My mother warned me against watching the film. A group of my friends rented it and watched it. After a few minutes, before anything truly scary happened, I left and went home. Years went by before I watched the film again. When I did, I saw the re-released version in 2000. It was called "the version you never saw before" it has the famous "spider-walk" in it. The film stood with me for days. Images were so strong they affected my sleep. The final showdown, the actually exorcism scene, blew me away.
And then because of my celebration of horror films I decided to watch this film again. This time I saw the original version. It is still a powerful film. Roger Ebert, when the first was first released wrote "if movies are, among other things, opportunities for escapism, "The Exorcist" is one of the most powerful ever made." The film was nominated for 10 Oscars, including "best picture" and "best director". It won two awards, one for its screenplay, which was adapted by Blatty himself and one for sound.
Some may disagree with this but "The Exorcist" is the scariest film ever made. It is a perfect blend of horror and religion which today's movies simply cannot compare to. It is one of the masterpieces of cinema.
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