Pure Cinema - 40th Anniversary Blu-Ray

Rating: 9/10 (28 October 2013)

Having just taken delivery of the 40th Anniversary Blu-Ray edition and watched the director's cut I am reminded fully of just why this is one of the most influential and important motion pictures ever made. The longer cut (by 11 minutes) doesn't add that much to the theatrical version (also included) apart from a minimal feeling of having watched a slightly more complete and thorough presentation. But, really, it's neither here nor there.
The plot is simple. Daughter of actress single mother is possessed by an evil spirit (may or may not be the devil), an Old Catholic priest intervenes to perform an exorcism and he's accompanied by a young modern Jesuit priest experiencing a crisis of faith. Yes, simple. But the content, the events and the themes explored within are immensely complex and emotionally affecting.
It's a tale of good versus evil, of the power of religious faith along with redemption through self- sacrifice. Now I'm not a religious person but even I was impressed by the compelling and matter-of-fact way the film seeks to reaffirm belief in the existence of both God and the Devil. And I still remain astonished at the amount of religiously oriented people, even today, who are offended by this film. Considering it works on an acceptance of God's existence and clearly shows good triumphing over the best efforts of malicious evil; how is that offensive exactly? What I personally find offensive, but admittedly unsurprising, is the number of people who haven't actually seen the film but feel qualified to critique and judge it. This is a testament to the closed-minded intolerance of religion and the power of media mythology. More powerful than God for some, it would seem.
Undeniably, pure evil is depicted as monstrous, defiling, sick, twisted, malevolent and destructive. The host child is physically tortured and made to behave supernaturally and unspeakably. Well, what would anyone expect – a demon that just pops around for crumpets and afternoon tea with perhaps a sedate game of lawn croquet thrown in for a clincher?
The deal here is, for those of a particularly media susceptible and narrow-minded nature and those who haven't seen it but know something of the reputation; put aside the myths and sensationalism surrounding THE EXORCIST. This stuff is causing you to miss out on experiencing a classic exercise in pure cinema.
Friedkin (director) and Blatty (writer) employ almost peerless craftsmanship in structuring and executing this film. It represents the masterwork of both and they will probably never better it. There is some incredibly fine acting on show from Ellen Burstyn, Max Von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb and Jason Miller. Not forgetting the best ever screen work of Linda Blair. As the possessed child she is a revelation. Whatever subsequent acting performance she gave as an adult it was, quite honestly, atrocious in comparison. Child actors are unselfconscious and blessed with monumental confidence and self-belief and the ability to imaginatively project. Some of them lose this when they grow up. Linda Blair certainly did. However, in THE EXORCIST, she was something else entirely.
The screenplay by William Peter Blatty is one of the most carefully composed and atmospherically chilling pieces one could imagine. He draws each and every character as a three-dimensional human being and takes time over development. Quite remarkable, considering Blatty had been a hack comedy writer up to this point (he scripted, of all things, the Peter Sellers Inspector Clouseau flick A SHOT IN THE DARK).
Friedkin directs each shot with painstaking care and an eye for making the commonplace seem frightful and unsettling. Case in point is the scene when Ellen Burstyn is simply walking home in daylight. Autumn leaves blow along the street, kids trick-or-treating run by, the wind tugs the habits of some passing nuns, and Mike Oldfield's signature loop from "Tubular Bells" plays in the background. It is really uncannily unnerving. And quite brilliant. Friedkin's choice of this particular music is inspired, but it's used very, very sparingly (only twice?) throughout the movie. Oldfield's piano repeat has a weird hook/tempo that the listener can never quite get their head around. This is what makes it addictive and unsettling and it gets into your head, stays there and helps set a unique tone.
The audio visual tapestry Friedkin weaves builds steadily and seamlessly through a series of escalating events and the tension increases in sympathy. Owen Roizman's cinematography is absolutely magnificent, framing the story in a psychologically affecting range of strikingly beautiful textures and tones. Add the support of some immaculately subtle audio effects, the incredible vocalism of Mercedes McCambridge and some truly shocking but never arbitrary or exploitative sequences, and you have one of the most frightening and emotionally rewarding cinematic experiences ever committed to film.
THE EXORCIST is one of those rarest phenomena; like PSYCHO, it's a movie that invokes strong feelings in anyone who sees it by intricately creating an atmosphere that is unrivalled in film. There has never been anything else quite like it. And probably never will be again. It's pure cinema and as such demands and deserves the attention it gets. Scrap the media-generated infamy and see it for what it is.
The Blu-Ray print is a thing of impressive beauty – crisp, clean, fresh and vibrant. The director's cut has a very slight edge over the theatrical release, if only for providing the most complete viewing platform available. You get a lot of bang for your buck – commentary by Friedkin and Blatty, interviews, documentaries, trailers, all the usual suspects. Plus you get the theatrical cut thrown in. It's worth the dough.