The greatest film of the 1970s, the best horror movie ever made.

Rating: Null/10 (12 May 2003)

Spoiler Alert William Friedkin's The Exorcist is perhaps the greatest horror movie ever made, and not simply because it is scary. Don't get me wrong, it is scary; but it is also challenging on a political, religious, and even philosophical level. The movie makes no apologizes for what it does. I have a feeling that if it had been made today, it wouldn't have been able to receive an R rating.
The opening scene of The Exorcist takes place in Iraq, and when I saw the film as a young teenager, I was puzzled as to what the significance was of opening the film there. The Iraq scene lets the viewer know that they are about to witness a film that is about good versus evil. The opening has very little dialogue, but we are able to sense the presence of evil because of the behavior of the characters, and the images we are shown.
The rest of the film takes place in Georgetown, an area of Washington, D.C. The camera goes through the town, and right into the home of Chris McNeil (Ellen Burstyn). Chris is a wealthy film actress who lives a pleasant life with her 12-year-old daughter Regan (Linda Blair). Regan is an only child, and Chris is a single mother. Although we may think so in the beginning, the McNeils are not the only main characters. The story revolves in great detail around Father Karras (Jason Miller), a Catholic priest who is losing his faith. Karras's life is mostly unhappy, especially since he spends a lot of time taking care of his mentally ill mother.
The changes that occur happen unexpectedly. One night while Chris is having a party, Regan gets the attention of all the guests by urinating in front of them. This is not the kind of behavior that Regan usually displays, but we begin to wonder if the behavior is being caused by Regan when her bed mysteriously begins to shake and jump by itself. Of course, Chris's first thought is to take her to see a doctor. All the necessary tests are run on Regan's brain, and not a problem is found. At home, though, things are getting worse.
Regan's body has been possessed by Satan himself. Eventually, her voice becomes raspy, her face darkens in color, and her eyes change to an evil green. She begins using the foulest of language, and is violent towards anyone who enters her room. Chris is not a person who believes in religion, but she wonders if she should ask the church for help, since the doctors are still convinced that Regan's problems are psychological. Chris meets with Father Karras, who is familiar with demonic possession, but does not think he can help her, since his faith is low.
Karras tells Chris about an old Catholic ritual called an exorcism, which was used to drive Satan away from the body he was possessing. Karras thinks it is worth a try, but not from him. The church recruits Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow), a priest who can do the job to its fullest potential. The last half hour of the film is the exorcism, and it is the most powerful and disturbing portion of The Exorcist, because we don't know if good will triumph.
A lot has been said about the religion in the film. The Exorcist was released in 1973, which was a time when church attendance was at an all time low in America. What better way to help restore faith than with a movie that realistically shows the power of Christianity? We see the disappearance of religion in the scenes with the doctors, who have replaced religion with modern medicine and science. There is another theme in the film that is as obvious as the one of good versus evil. The Exorcist is trying to tell us that men are better than women. I know, it sounds crazy, but hear me out.
The movie opened during a period when women's rights were a very hot issue. Gloria Steinem was speaking out for feminism, and women were starting to show more independence. In The Exorcist, Chris is a raising a child without a father. She engages in a lot of acts of sin, such as smoking, drinking, and using the Lord's name in vain. She has a short haircut, which was not traditional for women during the early '70's. More signs of the inferiority of women arise when Regan becomes possessed. The Exorcist is based supposedly on true story, but in the real event, the possession happened to a young boy, not a young girl.
When Regan is possessed, we see her commit several violent acts. There is a shocking scene where she grabs a man's crotch in an attempt to tear it off. Later, in the movie's most controversial and scary scene (which would not have been able to stay in the film if it had been made today), Regan masturbates with a crucifix. What do these scenes suggest? The first one notes that a woman's main goal is to destroy men (hence why she was grabbing the crotch). The second scene is saying that women see religion as nothing more than a hoax, which is displayed when Regan stabs herself with the crucifix.
There is another clue of women inferiority in the scenes involving Father Karras's mother. After she dies, he has a dream that she is walking down a dark stairway, which we assume leads to Hell. There is a scene near the end of the film where Karras sees his mother's face on Regan's, and later, sees her sitting in Regan's bed. The scenes with Karras's mother and Regan's possession suggest not only that women are lesser than men, but also that they are evil and corrupt.
The Exorcist is an observant film. It delivers a realistic story, and displays some of the most disturbing images ever put on screen. Unlike a routine horror film, it contains ideas. Even if we don't agree with everything it is trying to say, we can still appreciate the exploration of the ideas. The film is flawlessly directed by William Friedkin, who uses camera techniques that would have pleased Hitchcock. Every performance is superb, but Linda Blair's stands out above all. I have never seen a child actor show emotional intensity the way she does here. Forget Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense; this is a child performance that takes real risks.
The Exorcist is the kind of movie that keeps its impact over time. It is more frightening and appalling than most of today's movies, because it was made during a time when filmmakers could get away with more. It is a masterpiece of genuine terror and spiritual fulfillment. It contains ideas that reflect the decade during which it was made. The Exorcist is what making movies is all about.