1973...you had to be there

Rating: 10/10 (4 June 2015)

There's nothing much to say about "The Exorcist" these many years after it first caused a nationwide sensation. Is this the "scariest movie ever made"? Perhaps. And perhaps not depending upon how old you are.
Without going into the particulars of plot, which everyone knows by now, this film is rife with the most mundane terrors piled up until the viewer feels suffocated. I saw this astonishing film the night it opened in Cincinnati, 1973, right before Christmas. Everything you've heard about initial audiences' reactions to this film is 100% true. The USA was a kinder nation in 1973, the wounds of the 1960s were healing, Vietnam was gone (or nearly gone), the world seemed more at peace, and life went on. No one, even readers of William Peter Blatty's novel suspected what was in store when they paid for a ticket (around $1.25), so within moments of the film's start, entire audiences were struck dumb, horrified, and looking to get away from the images on screen.
I wish all the naysayers who rate this low because they've been jaded over the past decades by increasing violence on a pornographic level substituting for fear and the overuse of CG effects, could experience what I did that night. The audience was gripped, something I've never seen since. Yes, there were those that ran out, and several who fainted. William Friedkin's unrelenting pressure was a painful thing. Once over, I walked out speechless with my father and sister. No one had anything to say, because no one had ever seen anything like this before. The echoes of "The Exorcist" stayed with most people for years, matched only by the shade of Norman Bates and an unfortunate shower.
Watching this slow ride to Hell in the millennium hasn't reduced it's power. Seeing "The Exorcist" again several times over the decades reveals a number of creeping terrors that have nothing to do with the possession of Regan. Loss of control. Loss of faith. Loss of power. Loss of identity by old age. Loss of loved ones who might have been saved. Loss of rational thought. Loss of faith in medical science. And many others. It's impossible to think that anyone could improve or remake this film. Perhaps the most frightening thing left to those viewers over 50 years ago is that they could see themselves stranded without hope in a situation beyond their capabilities to control. Naturally, the intense direction, razor- sharp editing, special effects and brilliant acting by all involved helped to make this film something many wished to forget. As if they could.
Laugh all you wish if you think this "movie" is clunky, overrated, and just plain silly. It's OK. We now have erupting world violence and public beheadings to keep you awake at night. However, you weren't there at a crucial time in American history, one which was ripe for the terrors unleashed by one of the most astute directors who ever helmed a major project. There's a reason this film hasn't been remade, and that's simply because it couldn't be.