The Devil You Know

A review of “The Exorcist”
by James Harleman

Director - William Friedkin
Writer - William Peter Blatty
Ellen Burstyn - Chris MacNeil
Max von Sydow - Father Merrin
Jason Miller - Father Damien Karras
Linda Blair - Regan MacNeil

From a filmmaking perspective, the power of “The Exorcist”, directed by William Friedkin and based on the book by William Peter Blatty, lies not in its gory visuals, or the flashes of demonic faces and images sprinkled generously throughout, but truly, ultimately, in the audio track. From the opening scene in Northern Iraq, with the sonic dissonance of a hundred pickaxes and the sound of hammers beating out metal on an anvil as the brilliant Max von Sydow struggles to choke down his heart medication, the film claws at your nerves in every scene. Even a harmless downstairs moment between Father Karras and the possessed girl”s mother is made edgy by a rasping steam iron that hisses in and out like the demonic Linda Blair”s hyperventilation. As the soundtrack alternates between Oldfield”s seemingly mellow Tubular Bells and quick violin strings that strike without warning, the viewer is never allowed to relax, even when the scene is clearly removed from the source of danger. (It didn”t hurt, either, that the Cinerama had the THX system maximized to the extent that the opening advertisement rattled my rib cage.)

Of course, the visuals are so raw, and subject matter so intense, that they combine with the audio experience to create-even by today”s standards-a truly repulsive film. Don”t misconstrue my meaning; I do not employ the term “repulsive” as a negative connotation toward the film per se. Indeed, it truly seems the director”s (and Blatty”s) intention to mortify the viewer with the sheer demonic depravity to which this poor girl and her mother are subjected. They succeed. or perhaps they overachieve. Let me explain.

For those who missed the last twenty years, let”s have a quick review: “The Exorcist” opened on December 26, 1973, and moviegoers were soon passing out in the theatre and fleeing the movie houses, much like they did later with “Alien” in 1979. The Skinny? A demonic presence takes possession of a popular actress’ young daughter. When the non-religious, divorced Chris MacNeil finally faces what is truly causing her daughter”s “condition”, a local priest (Damien Karras) trained in psychology who has “lost his faith” is drawn into the horrible events. Together with the experienced Father Merrin, they attempt to free the girl from her tormentor, with questionable results. The movie wins an Academy Award, but is largely shunned by the Christian community. Now, fast-forward 27 years. in the grand Lucas-ian tradition of “Special Editions”, someone decided it was time to add a few deleted scenes to The Exorcist and re-release it for the desensitized, over-stimulated year 2000 viewing audience.

End result? Well, I gaze back upon the glut of horror films of the last three decades, and most of them still pale by comparison. (more…)