The Exorcist (1973)

### *"Something beyond comprehension is happening to a girl on this street, in this house . . . a man has been sent for as a last resort. That man is The Exorcist."*

***The Exorcist*** is a 1973 American supernatural horror film, adapted by William Peter Blatty from his 1971 novel of the same name, and starring Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, and Jason Miller. The film is part of The Exorcist franchise. The book, inspired by the 1949 exorcism of Roland Doe, deals with the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl and her mother's attempts to win back her child through an exorcism conducted by two priests. The adaptation is relatively faithful to the book, which itself has been commercially successful (earning a place on The New York Times Best Seller list). The film experienced a troubled production; even in the beginning, several prestigious film directors including Stanley Kubrick and Arthur Penn turned it down. Incidents, such as the toddler son of one of the main actors being hit by a motorbike and hospitalized, attracted claims that the set was cursed. The complex special effects used as well as the nature of the film locations also presented severe challenges. The film's notable psychological themes include the nature of faith and the boundaries of maternal love.

The Exorcist was released theatrically in the United States by Warner Bros. on December 26, 1973 and September 23, 1974 in the UK. The film was initially booked in only twenty-six theatres across the U.S., although it soon became a major commercial success. The film earned ten Academy Award nominations, winning Best Sound Mixing and Best Adapted Screenplay. It became one of the highest-grossing films in history, grossing over $441 million worldwide in the aftermath of various re-releases, and was the first horror film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

The film has had a significant influence on popular culture. Several publications have regarded it one of the best horror films in history. For example, it was named the scariest film of all time by Entertainment Weekly in 1999. In 2010, the Library of Congress selected the film to be preserved as part of its National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Lankester Merrin (von Sydow) is a veteran Catholic priest and exorcist who is shown to be on an archaeological dig in the ancient city of Hatra in Iraq. There he finds an amulet that resembles the statue of Pazuzu, a demon of ancient origins with whose history Merrin is familiar.

In modern day Georgetown, actress Chris MacNeil (Burstyn) is living on location with her 12-year-old daughter Regan (Blair). After playing with a Ouija board and contacting a supposedly imaginary friend whom she calls Captain Howdy, Regan begins acting strangely, including making mysterious noises, stealing, constantly using obscene language, and exhibiting abnormal strength. Chris hosts a party, only for Regan to come downstairs unannounced, telling one of the guests, who is an astronaut, "You're gonna die up there", and then urinating on the floor. Later, Regan's bed then begins to shake violently, adding further to her mother's horror. Chris consults multiple physicians, but Dr. Klein and his associates find nothing physiologically wrong with her daughter, despite Regan undergoing a battery of diagnostic tests.

One night when Chris is out, Regan's babysitter dies falling out the window. Although this is assumed to have been an accident, given Burke's history of heavy drinking, his death is investigated by Lieutenant William Kinderman (Lee J Cobb), who interviews Chris, as well as priest and psychiatrist Father Damien Karras (Miller).

The doctors, thinking that Regan's aberrations are mostly psychiatric in origin, recommend an exorcism to be performed. After recording Regan speaking backwards and witnessing the apparent effect of the scarification of her flesh with the words "Help Me" on her stomach, Karras is convinced Regan is possessed and decides to perform an exorcism. The experienced Merrin is selected for performing the actual exorcism with Karras present to assist.

Both priests witness Regan perform a series of bizarre, vulgar acts, and confine her to her bedroom. They attempt to exorcise the demon, Pazuzu. Karras shows weakness, and is dismissed by Merrin, who attempts the exorcism alone. Karras enters the room and discovers Merrin has died of a heart attack. The enraged Karras confronts the mocking, laughing spirit. At Karras's furious demand, Pazuzu then possesses Karras, leaving Regan's body. In a moment of self-sacrifice, the priest throws himself out of the window before allowing Pazuzu to compel him to harm Regan, and is himself mortally injured. Father Dyer (a real priest, Father William O'Malley), an old friend of Karras, happens upon the scene and administers the last rites to his friend.

A few days later Regan, who is now back to her normal self, prepares to leave for Los Angeles with her mother. Although Regan has no apparent recollection of her possession, she gives Father Dyer a kiss on the cheek. Kinderman, who narrowly misses their departure, befriends Father Dyer as he investigates Karras's death.

The film was followed by Exorcist II: The Heretic in 1977, and The Exorcist III in 1990. Two prequels, Exorcist: The Beginning and Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist appeared in 2004 and 2005, respectively. A TV series debuted in 2016.