Ground breaking horror film, unmistakable 1970s style

Rating: 8/10 (27 April 2014)

I just watched this film again for the first time in over 30 years. I had forgotten much of it. It is a really fine film.
Great performances. Ellen Burstyn makes you feel a mother's anguish over her daughter's distress. Linda Blair's performance was challenging in ways that were unique for a film of that time, and she pulled it off well. Max von Sydow is always solid.
The outstanding performance was Jason Miller as the troubled Jesuit priest/psychiatrist. One of the great things about 1970s film-making, in the days before CG, was the depth of character development. The script, the director, and Miller himself give a highly nuanced perception to this man, his personal demons, his fears, and his will to do battle on behalf of the possessed girl, Reagan.
Well worth watching a first or second time.