Good film... but no masterpiece

Rating: 6/10 (25 December 2004)

I've seen the Exorcist quite a few times by now (including the director's cut or the so-called "version you've never seen") but not once did I feel like I was watching a true masterpiece. It's a solid film with intriguing characters and groundbreaking premise but it depends too much on only a few powerful and mesmerizing sequences instead of a being a coherent wholesome. The truly eerie images of a possessed 12-year-old girl cursing and mutilating herself are very shocking but the all the rest sadly isn't much more than a dramatic family portrait and a Catholic essay on evil. Don't get me wrong.I also regard this as an essential movie and one of the few films that co-formed the horror genre but I definitely think it's a slightly overrated. The story develops rather slowly and it lacks involvement. Once the "Devil" makes his entry, Friedkin and the cast take you for a wild ride of shocks, ahead-of-its-time brutality and unseen atmosphere but it finishes as abrupt as it started. Luckily, there's the class-A cast, of which all members bring extra depth to their characters. Jason Miller and Max Von Sydow are impressive but yet my vote for best actor here goes to Lee J. Cob who adds some welcome humor to the devastating substance. The young Linda Blair made herself immortal and she still is everybody's favorite head-tolling girl. The rude voice of Mercedes Cambridge (who dubbed the "Pazuzu"-lines) only gives more impact to the image of evil. Anyway, no matter how sublime the soundtrack isno matter how strong the reputation is by nowThe Exorcist certainly is not the scariest movie ever. As far as I'm concerned, it isn't even the best tale handling about "religious evil" (check out "The Omen" for that). Let's just say it is fundamental viewing in case the horror genre fascinates you.
A few words about the re-edited anniversary release: aside from a very professionally made digital soundtrack, there isn't much to discover extra. There's the notorious sequence in which Regan (Linda Blair) rushes down the stairs spider-style but those 5 seconds are hardly worth purchasing the special edition. Other than this sequence, the re-release stresses the Catholic treatise even more (with lots of pointless talking) which actually makes the film dull and uninteresting at times. And it's really hurts to use those words while describing a classic title.