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For years, I have heard that The Exorcist was one of the scariest movies ever made. Yet, for years, I put off watching this movie. Was it fear that kept me away since I really don’t like horror movies or was it the idea that something would be so scary that I would have to just wave my hands and go “Not today,” as I walk out of the room. From movie critics alike, the resounding word was the Exorcists was one of the scariest movies to watch. It obviously had to be good in some way. The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Actress along, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress to name a few) while winning two for Best Sound Mixing and Best Adapted Screenplay along with AFI, American Film Institute, putting it as #3 on its 100 Thrills list and having the villain ranked as #9 on its 100 Heroes and Villains list. Through all these accolades, I was still hesitant because I saw some scenes that made me say, “Naw, I’m good.”
The Exorcist was adapted from a novel by William Peter Blatty of the same name. Director William Friedkin staying relatively faithful to the book presents a thrilling story of a movie star named Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) and her sweet 12-year old daughter Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), played by Linda Blair. While Chris films a movie in Washington D.C. her daughter starts to show dramatic and dangerous changes in her behavior and physical make-up. The once sweet and innocent girl slowly changes into a foul mouth girl with decaying like skin. Her mother becoming more and more concern, goes to numerous doctors for answers but to no prevail. As Regan’s health hits beyond a critical level,
a doctor states that maybe she should get an exorcism. Chris turns to Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller), a Roman Catholic priest and psychiatrist to see if an exorcism might be the solution to their problem. Karras is unsure but after seeing Regan speak in tongues and do other things, convinces the church to finally agree to call upon the aging Father Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow), a man who has succeeded in doing exorcisms and fought against the devil many times.
The only way I can describe this film, and the presentation that Director Friedkin displays is an intense rollercoaster ride. The one where it just seems like a bad idea but everyone says it is the best damn ride in the world. While you stand in line and hear the screams and terrors as everyone is on the ride, a shiver rolls down your spine. Director Friedkin displays a mastery in developing a rollercoaster that has all the right twists, turns, loops as the ride speeds up more and more until coming to a complete stop that leaves your heart pounding.
Friedkin beings his movie just like the ascent up the tracks of a rollercoaster. Everything seems fine in the beginning. Chris and Regan move into their home while Chris fills her movie. As you progress or ascend, small details catch your eye that makes you say, “Hold Up. That didn’t seem right.” Friedkin displays this with small but subtle special effects. The first things that catches your eye is when Regan finds an Ouija board. Chris makes a comment that she needs two to play, but Regan states she plays all the time. When Chris attempts to touch the pointer, it quickly moves away from her hands and back to Regan while Regan says Captain Howdy doesn’t want her to play. Pretty strange, but okay. As the ascent continues, little things happen like the bed shaking or when Chris searches the attic, and her candle flame literally becomes a freakin’ flamethrower. Right there you know some strange stuff is going to happen. As the coaster continues upward to the drop point, little things still catch your eyes as you grip the seat. When Regan goes in for a test, she is becoming such a pain in the ass with her language and behavior. You get glimpses of a white demon face and the demon statue. When Chris has the party, and Regan urinates, you’re like “oh hell no! Did she just do what I think she did.”
As you hit the peak and look around at the top of the rollercoaster, Freidkin brings everything he has to make you regret your decision, but it is too late, and the descent is fast and terrifying. The first thing is when Regan is getting possessed. As Chris walks in her room with doctors, she is flipping up and down and all around. Her eyes turn freakin’ white y’all, and a giant bubble comes from her throat while the demon curses obscenities. When the doctor comes to check on her, she slaps the shit out of him. I must say that it was one of the best slaps I have ever seen. Made me what to apologize to the doctor because that sure was a slap. DAMN!! The harsh ride continues when the spider-walk scene happens. It is weird and crazy that made me literally pause the movie and go “NOPE! NOT TODAY!” and still I had more film to watch.
The ride continues and continues when the demon makes Regan head entirely turn 180 degrees while smiling and talking. The whole exorcism scene is CRAZY! One that is for the ages. The vomiting was fine and even the crazy language from the girl BUT when that girl’s head went all the way around, I once again hit the pause button and said, “NOPE! WHAT THE HELL AM I WATCHING!” Just like in the movie, I thought my Blu-Ray player would need some holy water splashed on it while I scream, “THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!” After it was all done, just like a fantastic ride, you sit in your seat, while your heart pounds in your chest with a smile, knowing you can do it again.
There should be high praise for the cinematography in this film. The cinematography is excellent and put everything in perspective while foreshadowing what is about the happen. From the get-go, you almost get a clear idea of what is about to happen and that a true battle is about to happen. Several examples of that give a clear indication is first when Father
Merrin is digging, and he starts walking around the dig site. He stops and then a shadow appears over him as the descending sun slowly fades. As he looks up, he sees the statue of a demon. He climbs up and stands across from the very demon statue that will soon be his enemy. Also, the atmosphere that is present in the film is excellent. As the demon slowly starts to possess Regan, her room becomes darker and colder. A single lamplight, cold air blowing from everyone’s mouth, darkness all around. Out of everything in the film, the one scene that stands out the most and that puts the whole movie in perspective is when Father Merrin finally arrives at the house. He steps out of a cab and stands in front of the MacNeil residence, between the open gates of the driveway. Against the misty streetlamp’s glow, he looks up, staring up at an intense beam of light shining from a bedroom window above. A scene that is subtle but powerful with everything that has happened so far in the film.
The performances of the cast are in every way appropriate but thrilling and emotional for this type of movie. The way each specific character progresses through the film from the standpoint of what they believe and question is put to the test to the highest level.
Ellen Burstyn performance as Chris MacNeil was remarkable yet extremely emotional for a parent to deal with the situation she was put in. Burstyn displayed Chris as a very loving mother who would do anything for her child while maintaining an active career. As the movie progresses, Burstyn presents the emotional toll of worrying about her child and what she should do for her child. Some examples of this are when Regan first start showing signs of possession. She takes her to the doctor and gets minimal answers. At a party she is hosting, she seems cheerful until Regan makes a surprise. The surprise of what her daughter does leaves an expressionless outcome on her face, not knowing what to do. Burstyn continues to show Chris’ despair into hopelessness when Regan entirely becomes possessed. The fear on her face when Regan flops around the bed puts terror in her eyes. When she is attacked and slapped by Regan, leaves her as a mother that just doesn’t know what to do as she screams for some type of relief. She looks for hope when she finally snaps at the doctors and reaches out to Father Damien with a last-ditch effort for a solution.
Now Linda Blair’s performance as Regan MacNeil and the demon was fierce, astonishing and downright spine chilling. It was one of the creepiest performances that someone will ever see. Her performance will make you hit the NOPE button so many times. In the beginning, Blair plays Regan as a sweet and happy child. She is innocent, kind, and has a loving smile. A person that anyone would like to be around. As she slowly becomes possessed, Blair slowly starts to flip the script on Regan’s personality. She goes to the doctor and starts to become more resistant and violent. She curses more and becomes awkward. The party was really uncomfortable as she stands in front of everyone, visibly weak and ill but yet commands everyone’s attention. Shit really hits the fan when she becomes fully possessed. The once sweet and innocent girl is transformed into a foul mouth demon. Blair plays the demon beautifully. Her reactions and performance during the exorcism are priceless with the talking, spitting, vomiting, and tongue wiggle and growling/snapping at Father Merrin. Her creepiest act is when she is in the corner of the bed, and she makes shows that spine chilling smile and giggle. Straight up creepy. NOPE! NOPE! NOPE!
With the two primary roles, the story will be nothing without the people who perform the exorcism. Max von Sydow as Father Lankester Merrin is excellent. Sydow plays Father Merrin as a man skilled in exorcism for the church. He is calm, collective, and shows the resolve to try and handle the situation even in his advanced age. Let’s be real, he is a total BOSS. Boss move #1 is when Merrin is told about the request. While on his walk, he simply takes the paper, looks at it and continues on his merry ole way like it is just another day in the park. Sydow continues to play Merrin as the calm priest when he first arrives at the house. As everyone is losing their minds, he walks in and doesn’t even listen to background information because he knows it’s about to go down and he doesn’t have time to listen to anything else. He simply orders Father Damien to go fetch some water to make it holy. If that isn’t a boss, I don’t know what is. Yet, Sydow commands the scene when he goes against the demon. As Regan/Demon curses and vomits on Merrin as he is doing his exorcism, Merrin simply wipes the vomit from his face and continues, like nothing had happened. There are moments where it is too much, and a weaker person would be out, yet Sydow shows Merrin is not only the man fit for the task, but one that will complete it and have hope will get the job done. Finally, Jason Miller as Father/Dr. Damien Karras S.J. was remarkable.
Miller plays Father Damien as a priest conflicted with many areas in his life that has left his faith on edge. Miller shows confusion and resentment for himself with everything surrounding his mother. His values tell him to take care of her, but he knows he can’t. He puts her in the hospital where she ultimately passes away. This decision has a resounding effect on Damien as he begins to wonder if it was the correct decision. Miller also shows that his faith is waning when Chris comes to speak to him about an exorcism. He tells her that he is a man of science know but reluctantly agrees to help. As Damien becomes more and more involved with investigating Regan and her possession, his mood and attitude completely change. Miller’s expression are priceless during the exorcism. Most of the time he has the look of, “Are you seeing this? I know you seeing this” or “This is too wild for me! I’m going to just leave this place” or “No, you did not just talk about my mama like that!” All priceless expressions from Miller.
When watching the Exorcist, fear is not a feeling that will overtake you. More of the thrill and curiosity of what is happening. The slow and steady descent into darkness that a young girl’s soul and the supporting family that person has was dealing with. This movie is thrilling in the case that shit goes down in a way that doesn’t test your fear but faith in religion. This movie, in some ways, tests a person’s views on God and religion. Whenever I think of the movie and the fight between good and the evil, I think back to a quote from another film that deals with exorcism.
From the movie, The Last Exorcism, lead character Cotton Marcus eloquently states, “The bible is filled with demons. If you believe in God, you have to believe in the devil. Jesus himself was an exorcist. Therefore, if you are Christian, and you believe in the bible, and you believe in Jesus Christ, you have to believe in demons.”
