I am a fan of quality horror cinema. Not the exploitative, overly violent and artistically lacking movies that have come to represent most of the genre. I love intelligent, atmospheric films that dwell on our most inner fears, trying to understand them. Those quality movies owe a great debt to William Peter Blatty and the director William Friedkin for their genre-changing epic, “The Exorcist”. Blatty adapted the screenplay from his bestselling novel, and Friedkin directed the film in a neo-noir style.
Sure, this is a movie that, through countless satires and imitations, can induce chuckles at some of its more excessive scenes. It is, however, still a very frightening movie that touches on the deep fear we all have when it comes to the supernatural. Some may even be so bold as to call the movie religious or theological because of the intelligent way it relates to the war between God and the devil.
Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair in a performance that will forever haunt her career), is the sweet 12-year-old daughter of the famous actress Chris (Ellen Burstyn in a stunning performance), who one night descends on her mother’s dinner party to foresee the death of a guest astronaut while wetting herself in front of everyone. This is a nice introduction to what is to become of Regan. She will begin to curse, have violent reactions, and become very cruel. Sure, this initially sounds like a 12-year-old going through puberty, but it is only the beginning of what is happening to Regan. Regan has, for reasons totally unexplained in the film, been possessed by the devil, and her changing moods and attitudes slowly evolve into a physical deformity that has a mind of its own. After the failures of both the medical and psychology professionals to let alone diagnose, not to mention treat her condition, her mother is told to find a Catholic exorcist. She brings on two, being the Church psychiatrist Father Karris (Jason Miller in the role that fits him like a glove), and the elderly Father Merrin (The superb Max Von Sydow, seamlessly portraying a man 40 years older than Von Sydow was when he made the film).
What makes the movie so scary is the way the script, direction, sound, and cinematography envelope the movie with a deep foreboding atmosphere throughout. Filmed in the historic Georgetown of Washington DC, in the fall, and within the set of an old traditional large home, this is a movie that oozes with dread. The large house is home to only two people with its long curving staircase leading up to Regan’s room. The way the horror of the movie all occurs in the house places this story center stage into the haunted house film genre. Did the Devil that is possessing Regan come from the house? That answer is never given, but I have always assumed that it did.
The outside shots of the pretty neighborhood are made without a lot of color and in a very film noire style that emphasizes shadows and streaks of lights. These images left me with deep tension and foreboding throughout the entire length of the movie. There is the iconic scene of Father Marin arriving at the house at dusk within an envelope of fog and streaks of house lighting. When he arrives, he is a tall dark shadow hesitant to enter what he knows is the home of great evil.
Adding to this non-stop feeling of dread is the sound of the movie. Friedkin uses the sounds of a large house as well as I have ever seen in a movie. During the early house party, the guest’s banter and music dims these noises, which allows Regan to descend the stairs unnoticeably. Once she wets herself, the house comes back to its creaking life. Some of the hardest scenes to watch in the movie occur during the invasive medical tests the doctors put Regan through while trying to figure out what is wrong with her. These torture chambers, like needles and machines, emote sounds almost as frightening as the sounds of the house. The house will also become a weapon for the devil with its banging of doors, drawers, and windows. Violent movements of beds threaten to crack the walls of the house. Finally, there is the voice and sound of the devil himself once he fully possesses the poor girl. Deep guttural and monstrous is his voice, and his agonizing screams heard downstairs, caused shivers down my spine.
What is surprisingly effective in the movie is the way it slowly builds up to its climax. This slow burn allowed me to get to know the characters and their inner fears. It also dwells quite a bit in a parallel track with the mental anguish of Father Karris, who is guilt-ridden when his elderly mother dies alone in a squalid apartment in New York, while he works for the seminary in Washington. In addition, the initial discovery of what is happening to Regan is correctly slow in its depiction of Chris’s efforts to find a logical reason for what is happening to her daughter. The dialogue throughout these scenes, whether dealing with theology or science, is intelligent throughout. Blatty’s script is excellent, giving credence to the need to have an adaption made or influenced by the author of the source material.
The entire cast give wonderful, grounded performances in the movie. Burstyn’s Chris relays the horror of knowing that something evil and unknown is attacking her daughter with frightening realism. This is an intelligent, strong woman driven to utter despair. My heart went out to her throughout the movie. Miller looks like a priest who boxes for a hobby and Karris’ inner conflicts are brought to life by his performance. When I read that Von Sydow was only 44 when he made the movie, I was shocked. Here he looks, acts and seems to think like an 80-year-old man who has been through a lot. Blair is perfectly sweet, as the much loved and adorable girl when the film introduces her. Whether it was just the makeup, special effects, or the use of a body double, I am not sure, but her transformation into the possessed monster felt horrifyingly real.
For those of you who refuse to watch horror movies because of the negative effects they may have on you, I understand. However, if you are interested in watching a movie that intelligently dwells on all our inner fears while telling a story of great suffering, then watch, “The Exorcist”. It is a masterpiece of cinema, but to watch it you must not be afraid of being afraid.
1001 Movies before you die 