Turn down lights. Turn up the sound and enjoy The Exorcist.

Rating: 9/10 (7 April 2014)

The mere sound of the most infamous film score in cinema history; sends dogs cowering back into their kennels, cats clambering up trees for dear life and children's hiding under their covers, fearing the worse.
"I was always thought that film should be an emotional experience; it should make you laugh, cry or be scared. But it should also inspire and provoke you and make you reflect."
And that's exactly what Williams Friedkin's The Exorcist does, it both scares the audience witless, but most importantly it posses the intelligence to provoke and ask questions. When we think about the battle between good and evil, we looked to heaven and hell, too the superhero comics, too the war field of opposing countries. What we cease to forget the most prevalent battled between good and evil, is the one we all have to deal with on daily bases. For the greatest battles occurs on a more personal plane, the struggle we all face as we must choose between what is right or wrong, or the struggle of one's decision to accept region or two turn their back on it. The Exorcist is a film that seeks to unravel the mystery around faith, and the chilling truth between what we deem to be evil. And it's the ability of The Exorcist in to delve such an honest and uncompromising subject that has been neglected by cinema for so long, in exchange for the big budget spectacles, rather than focusing on the more important, the human condition. That has meant over 40 years later, its messages and themes, are still as relevant and potent as they were in 1973. But most importantly, after all those years as effortlessly retained its ability to frighten, and should be no surprise that no matter if you watched The Exorcist when it first came out or 40 years later, it still takes you on a bone chilling journey into your deep darkest nightmares. And guess what! It's all based on a true story, 1949 in Silver Spring Maryland to be exact.
William Friedkin's takes both William Peter Blatty's novel and screenplay and weaves frightening real life tale of a movie stars who fights to determine the reason behind her daughter Regan (Linda Blair) violent mood swings, retreating health, and rotating head. She seeks medical, physiological and finally spiritual help to determine whether it is a deep seeded mental and physiological issue or is she truly being inhabited by a malevolent entity. The cinematography in The Exorcist is probably the best in horror film history; the delicate balance between light and dark fashioned by Owen Roizmans complements the piece superbly, acting almost as the perfect metaphor between the delicate balance between good and evil. You just have to look at the scene that has rightly been used on every advertising campaign and poster for the film, the one where Father Merrin steps out of the taxi in a fog filled street, only partially lit by one solitary light, It was both artistically stunning yet goose bump inducing chilly. The inspiration of the composition came to Friedkin from the portrait Empire of Light by Rene Magritte, which I felt suited the film perfectly. Another aspect of the film I enjoyed the most, where ironically performances of the two actors void of any acting experience before hand. Linda Blair was practically forced to audition for the roll by her mother and Jason Miller who played Damien Karras, wasn't even a trained actor and was in fact a play write and was studying to a real life priest. But looking back I suppose it was the lack of experience that brought so much fresh energy and vigour to the roll, because they weren't so self-conscious and preoccupied with how they were acting and pleasing Friedkin, but instead focused on actually being present in the scene, feeling all the same emotions the characters would be feeling.
"Over the years I have discovered that most people take out of The Exorcist what they bring in to it"
So if you throw your entire being into the film and are willing to suspend your disbelief, then I guarantee The Exorcist will scare you in such away, that it will permanently leave a mark on your deepest subconscious, whilst shaking you to the very core of your being. So if you're ready, then I suggest you turn down lights. Turn up the sound and enjoy The Exorcist.