Classic Horror: The Exorcist (1973)

“What an excellent day for an exorcism.”

Even with its fiftieth anniversary approaching next year, The Exorcist (1973) is still one of the most impressive supernatural horror films to ever hit the big screen. To this day, many people refuse to watch the film due to its subject matter (demonic possession). It was banned in some countries, was fought over in order to receive an “R” rating, and was initially released on just thirty screens because Warner Bros. wasn’t sure if the film would really have that big of an impact. Boy, were they wrong!

For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, The Exorcist is the story of an actress named Chris MacNeil who notices that her precocious twelve year old daughter, Regan, is starting to act in a bizarre fashion. There are hints early on (noises in the attic that are written off as rats) that something is amiss but it isn’t until we find out that Regan has been playing with a Ouija board and talking to a spirit named Captain Howdy that things really go south. Regan complains about her bed shaking, objects fly across the room, and the young girl urinates in front of a small party of people hosted by her mother and proclaims that one of them, Burke, “will die up there.” Desperate for help, Chris has Regan examined by a number of doctors, all of whom cannot properly diagnose the girl’s issues. One doctor, almost in jest, suggests that Chris should seek out the help of the Catholic Church by having an exorcism performed on Regan. Chris befriends Father Damian Karras, a priest who is having doubts about his faith but also happens to be a psychiatrist. After a brief interview with Regan, Karras is convinced that an exorcism needs to be performed. He enlists the help of Father Lankester Merrin, who we are introduced to early in the film, to perform the exorcism.

I won’t spoil the conclusion to this film for you but I will say that this is a surprisingly intelligent horror film that doesn’t take its plot devices lightly. The exorcism itself is only a small part of the film. It’s the build up to the exorcism that makes this film truly frightening. Karras has a number of interactions with Regan and the demon inside of her. These are some of my favorite moments in the film. They range from casual threats to intense accusations by the demon. The priests and the Catholic Church are treated with respect but we also see the shortcomings of some of the clergy. We also get to see the priests bravely standing against the demon.

The special effects created by Dick Smith and his makeup work were simply amazing. From having Regan levitate over her bed to making the words “Help Me” rise out of her stomach, all of the effects were quite believable. Ron Nagle headed up the sound effects group who generated the agonizing sounds that came out of Regan while she was possessed. Mercedes McCambridge was brought in to provide the guttural voice of the demon. Actress Eileen Dietz handled many of Regan’s brutal scenes. She also portrayed the demon itself whenever it would flash across the screen.

Linda Blair portrayed Regan. She received an Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actress and two Golden Globe nominations. She won Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globes. Her mother, Chris, was portrayed by Ellen Burstyn. Max von Sydow, only forty four years old at the time, portrayed Father Merrin, a character that was in his early seventies. Jason Miller portrayed Father Karras, the young priest battling with his own faith and purpose in life. He’s probably my favorite character in the film. Kitty Winn portrayed Sharon, Chris’ assistant who witnesses many of the horrors displayed by Regan. Lee J. Cobb played Lt. Kinderman, who begins an investigation into the death of Burke (Jack MacGowran), who falls to his death from Regan’s window. This group made up the primary cast of the film but it should be noted that two actual Catholic priests appeared in the film. Father William O’Malley portrayed Father Dyer and Father Thomas Bermingham played Tom, the president of Georgetown University.

The film was based upon the book The Exorcist, released in 1971 and written by William Peter Blatty. Blatty also wrote the screenplay for the film. The movie would go on to become one of the highest grossing films of all time and when adjusted for inflation it is the highest grossing “R” rated film of all time. It received ten Academy Award nominations, winning in two categories: Best Screenplay Based Upon Material From Another Medium and Best Sound. It was also the first horror film to be nominated for Best Picture. It fared better at the Golden Globes, winning four out of seven of the categories it was nominated in including Best Motion Picture-Drama, and Best Director-Motion Picture.

This is a great film. It’s currently available to watch on Netflix in the United States It’s also available on many other streaming services including Amazon Prime, for a small fee. It has been released multiple times on VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray and has been released with previously deleted scenes as well. I highly recommend checking out this movie. It’s creepy, yes, but definitely worth getting spooked over for a couple of hours.

Thanks for reading my post. Let me know what you think about this film in the comments section.