Shocking and startling conceptual horror, once it gets going

Rating: 7/10 (6 June 2009)

Chris MacNeil (Burstyn) is horrified when her daughter starts acting strangely and when all medical treatment provides no answers; she considers the possibility of exorcism.
William Friedkin's Exorcist is marvelled by many in today's modern culture as being the revamp of horror, a marvel and a wonder with 2 Oscar triumphs and plenty of other nominations to name, but it certainly takes a while for all the accolades to kick in.
Opening with a well shot archaeological dig in Iraq, we see a content looking man gazing face to face with a strange statue that fades away into the familiar American shot. Back on land we are invited into the troubled life of actress Chris MacNeil who is having trouble with her career and looking forward to returning home.
When reading reviews, I found this to be one of the most horrific things to grace the screen and a shock to the system but the first hour, is perhaps the most boring and flat scene-setting you will ever see. MacNeil is having trouble, and she has a great relationship with her daughter and it's all very cosy etc, so where is this supposed tag and critical praise going to kick in? 10 years before The Exorcist Alfred Hitchcock released a shocking and brilliant film receiving an Oscar nomination known as The Birds. What the director did was skilfully place the creatures into the story juxtaposed with Tippi Hedren's protagonist and the suspense and tension were well matched against the excitement and fear factor that it was a true convincing and masterful piece of movie-making. Here we have a boring family situation along with a depressed priest that just brings the mood down rather than create a feeling of drama and suspense.
But thankfully after an unbearable first hour the tension is notched up a gear with the introduction of a demon spirit into MacNeil's daughter Regan (Linda Blair) and we have an exciting and different prospect on our hands. The foul mouthed being is certainly a catalyst of evil that generates tension between the characters and sparks one of the most controversial issues today, science against religion.
Back in 1973 when this was released, medicine was certainly restricted and the ongoing belief in God and Jesus Christ was as high on people's minds as it is today and the scripted dialogue impressively weighs the battle in a shocking manor, that suggests after all science fails, try religious exorcism. Very controversial and very well justified.
Thankfully the second part of the film creates plenty of action and suspense to weigh the excitement and mystery of Regan's demon and there are plenty of shocking twists along the way to up the ante right until the unforgiving final scenes.
After an atrocious start, The Exorcist generates thrills and spills in controversial ideologies that are definitely worth waiting around for