Personal feelings about the film...

Rating: Null/10 (29 September 1998)

I see many of the comments say that the film is slow or boring in the beginning. I think part of the problem is this film is being compared to movies today. Most films released in the 1990s are fast-paced because attention spans are much shorter than they were 20-30 years ago. Blame it on all of us under 35 being brought up in the TV generation. This film slowly brings the viewer to the realization that the little girl is possessed, that Father Karras (misspelled maybe?) is haunted by his own demons, and that the world around the family is so skeptical that they can't or won't believe that a person can be possessed. The reason why the ending seems so explosive and haunting is because how it is set up.
If you want some explanation about the film, see the 25 Anniversary edition. Prior to the film, there is BBC produced documentary about the film which shows outtakes and talks to everybody involved with the film. I will say I have seen this movie so many times that it doesn't scare me as it once did but when I saw the outtake of the Spider-Walk scene, I was truly scared again.
One more thought, in 1973, when this film was released every denomination denounced the film, Billy Graham did a sermon on the evils of this film, and there were religious protestors outside theaters. Inronically, the Catholics praised the film, acted as advisors and were extras in the film. The person who played Fr. Dyer is an actual Catholic priest.