A movie about redemption

Rating: Null/10 (20 November 2000)

People tend to think that Exorcist is a horror movie. I do not see it like this. In my mind the Exorcist is not about possession, the devil or the church. The Exorcist is about the way a good man (father Karras) redeems himself from the evil he has done to his mother. This is the essence of the movie which is conveyed by the "tubular bells" theme. Karras is poor because he has chosen to be a priest and a psychiatrist at the same time. His mother lives alone in a small apartment in Brooklyn. Her mood and health deteriorates until she eventually dies. Then Karras offers his life to save Regan. The message is well hidden under the shocking scenes of the daemon and the way he torments the little girl. But the daemon is a key component of the plot that allows the director to visually express the evil that exists in the world.