Cast:
Director:
William Friedkin
Writer:
William Peter Blatty
Stars:
Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow and Linda Blair
Movie:
In the heart of Washington, at Georgetown University, sometime in 1949, a young man named William Peter Blatty stumbled upon an article that instantly intrigued his catholic raised mind. The story concerned the apparent exorcism, and eventual expulsion, of a demon from a young boy. The details of the story were sketchy, but the idea of demons, of priests acting as practising Exorcists, stayed with Blatty, who more than 20 years later would use this terrifying tale, to create one of the most successful horror novels of all time, 'The Exorcist’.
It was nearing the fag end of the '60s when Blatty began working on ‘The Exorcist’. At the time he was a writer without work, as his preferred comedic screenplays (‘A Shot in the Dark’) had fallen out of favor. In this dark age of political turmoil that emerged from the Vietnam War, full of harsh, conflicting views, Blatty set himself a personal challenge. He begun writing a serious, dramatic prose, free from usual stylings. The novel would be imbued with his own catholic conflicts, as well as the compelling tale of a 12 year old girl gripped by demonic possession. The eventual movie that grew out of this novel, would forever change the horror genre.
Still seen as one of the most successful literary adaptations in the history of the genre, 'The Exorcist' stands the test of time thanks to the determined, fiery direction of Friedkin. That even on repeated viewing continues to reveal new layers, and unseen terrors. It is this level of craftsmanship that turned a hokey possession film, into a docu-style descent into hell. One only has to look at the exceptional making of feature, ‘The Fear Of God’, to instantly understand what an arduous task it was in capturing the numerous effects and makeup techniques used throughout the film. All of which still look impressive even today.
Another defining factor of 'The Exorcist's lasting legacy, is the astounding performance of the actors, in particular a young Linda Blair as the possessed Reagan. Blair is required to emote on numerous levels thoughout the movie, from naive, cherub faced kid, to foul mouthed demon. Thanks to her commitment, the viewer is left in a permanent state of doubt, as to what is causing Reagan to act out so violently. In the beginning of the movie it is implied that it might be some kind of external factor causing her abhorrent behaviour (her parents divorce). Later, it is suspected that she might be suffering from some undiagnosed mental trauma? (the realistic and shocking medical scenes).
By now everyone knows 'The Exorcist' and its infamous scenes - the head spinning, the crucifix masturbation, green vomit - as they have entered the public conscious in a way few horror ever have. Having now passed its 40th anniversary, the question remains: does William Friedkin's seminal take on Blatty's novel still hold up today? The answer of course, is a definite, and resounding yes!
Rating:
The Exorcist' is a horror masterpiece, plain and simple. If you're a horror fan, or just simply love movies, you won't be disappointed by this down and dirty, hard knocks classic of cinema, that is a type of big budget horror they sadly don't make anymore.