Laura’s Rating: 4/5 Stars
Perhaps the most famous horror movie ever made, The Exorcist is based on the best selling novel by William Peter Blatty. The project seemed doomed from the beginning: major actors turned down roles, much of the set burned down, two of the actresses suffered long-term injuries during filming accidents and nine people related to the film are said to have died during production. Supposedly, a priest was even called in to exorcise the set. The film took longer than expected to shoot and went over its budget by nearly double. Not to worry though, as the film ultimately grossed over $441 million, making it the top-grossing R-rated film at the time.
The Analysis:
The movie stars Ellen Burstyn as Chris, a famous actress and the mother of 12 year old daughter Regan. After Regan plays with a Ouija board, she begins acting strangely, using obscene language and exhibiting strange physical behavior and abilities. After numerous medical tests, a team of doctors can find nothing physically wrong with her. Chris contacts psychiatrist Father Damien Karras, a Jesuit priest. After initially approaching Regan’s case through a clinical mental health lens, he becomes convinced that the young girl may actually be possessed.
I have heard the legends about this movie for as long as I can remember, with even the cover of the DVD boasting “The Scariest Movie of All Time.” After finally watching it, I would hesitate to call the movie “scary” and would say that it pulls from several genres other than just horror. While the film was not necessarily scary, it was certainly disturbing. It was less me covering my face in my hands anticipating a jump scare, and more a horrified expression on my face because I was shocked at what I was watching. I did find that some of the scarier scenes would cut away just as the action was getting the most intense. While in a way I appreciated the relief from such scenes, it does dull the shock factor by letting audiences have a breather immediately after a heart racing moment, rather than keeping them on edge for longer. The genius is in casting Linda Blair. The severe language, horrible subject matter, and disturbing images are further intensified when they come from an innocent young girl. While the physical powers of Regan are scary, it is the self harm and explicit taunting that are truly disturbing.
The movie makes the characters (and the audience) examine whether it is the role of religion to answer questions that science cannot explain. The film focuses on the Catholic church specifically and how even within the clergy, exorcism is something not often talked about or used. I found the wavering faith of Father Karras to be a compelling plot point, and wish it had been examined more. The Exorcist appalled audiences, yet people literally waited in lines to see it. The movie showed that audiences wanted more horror, occult, and supernatural films and it opened the door to major studio-produced horror films. You might not enjoy The Exorcist if you are easily offended or squeamish, but I’d encourage a watch.
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