THE EXORCIST
Rated R - Running Time: 2:11 - Re-Released 9/22/00
You know, it's a shame in this ultra-sophisticated age of special
effects when the best movie one has seen all year is 27 years
old. On the other hand, when the film in question is one of the
best movies ever made, it will probably continue to pose stiff
competition for many years to come. William Friedkin's classic
1973 treatise on good versus evil, The Exorcist, with all
its controversy, parody, and the subsequent material it inspired,
is still a thrill to watch after all these years, so full it's
hard to absorb in one showing, so affecting it will still keep
you awake at night. But maybe for different reasons.
William Peter Blatty's novel and his adapted screenplay, based
on a real story that happened to a 13-year-old boy in Maryland
in 1949, is more than just a creepy tale designed to frighten
moviegoing teenagers. His intricate text is steeped in symbolism,
with layer upon layer of meaningful interactions and subtly evocative
images. Moreover, Friedkin's direction meshes ever so perfectly
with Blatty's work, incorporating not only stunning visuals and
memorable scenes, but seemingly minor choices that reveal their
importance later in the film. The movie is so packed with meaning,
it remains riveting even when we're not in Regan's bedroom watching
her spit pea soup. It's just a well-made film, and the fact that
it's also seriously disturbing is an added bonus.
Of course, another aspect which gives The Exorcist the
stature it holds is the purely consistent excellence in the acting.
It's hard to say who deserves more credit; it's no wonder the
principals were practically all nominated for Oscars in '74. The
fact that Linda Blair, only 13 at the time of shooting, could
not only be so convincing as the child possessed, but also maintain
such a simple, subtle realism in the earlier scenes, is remarkable.
The section where she and Ellen Burstyn are saying goodnight is
one of the most touching scenes in the film; it sets up the innocence
and charm of Regan so perfectly before she is taken over by evil.
Of course, the possessed Regan cannot be attibuted wholly to Blair,
since many of the scenes featured the voice of veteran actress
Mercedes McCambridge and the body of Eileen Dietz, not to mention
dummies that were constructed to look like Blair for purposes
of head spinning and the like.
Meanwhile, Burstyn is astounding as the atheist forced to seek
a priest as a last resort after exhausting all medical and psychological
possibilities concerning her daughter's increasingly disturbing
behavior. Burstyn, an actress playing an actress, can travel through
several emotional colors in a few seconds, and make every one
believable, showing the fragile mental state of a woman at the
end of her rope. And Jason Miller is also excellent as Father
Damien Karras, a character whom Blatty makes a truly complex individual
— a priest and psychologist with a crisis of faith, who feels
guilty for the death of his mother, who could have had a successful
career as a boxer but chose another path and lived to question
it . . . Miller shows us all these things. And finally, Max Von
Sydow as Father Merrin, the title character, the only one whom
the devil fears; he is also a more complicated character than
he would have to be; in a lesser movie, he could be a minor part,
but there's a reason why we meet him first, and why Blatty named
the book after him instead of the event, or the girl, or the beast
within. Also deserving mention is Lee J. Cobb, who is believable
as Lieut. Kinderman; again, more so than he needs to be.
Perhaps the most legendary aspect of The Exorcist is
its special effects, done before computers, but still so real
after all this time (with a few exceptions — the doll still
looks like a doll). This new release contains many augmentations
to those classic scenes, and even a few deliciously freaky new
ones added. One such addition is the much-talked-about "spider
walk" scene, where Regan comes down the stairs upside down,
crawling on her hands and feet; this was omitted from the original
because Friedkin couldn't figure a way to resolve the scene, but
a way has been found, and this is added to the list of the film's
disturbingly memorable images.
Also concerning the special effects is the controversial, and
sometimes questionable, manner in which Friedkin achieved them,
occasionally abusing his actors in ways which today might provoke
litigation; this is an unfortunate corollary to the story of The
Exorcist, but one cannot argue that what resulted is a truly
excellent piece of work. Friedkin, however, has apparently voiced
some opposition to this version being released, since the more
upbeat ending (which Blatty wanted in the original version) is
added against his wishes.
So many movies that try to be scary turn out laughable, and some, like The Blair Witch Project, can't sustain their edge for more than one showing. But this film is so much more than the sum of its parts; there are things to think about, talk about, and argue about long after the car trip home. Do yourself a favor this Halloween season: go see it again, and if the pea soup and creepy voices turn you off, just forget about the devil and watch it for the sake of art. *****