The Exorcist: A Film That Scarred Me
Terror, controversy, and personal childhood trauma
My Genesis of Fear
When I was six years old, my father, a fan of all things horror, introduced me to The Exorcist. A portrayal of death, evil, sacrilege — a young boy with a Roman Catholic background stood no chance.
My father amped up the fear by telling me about the film’s cursed production, plagued by accidents, mishaps, and deaths. Sure, the movie terrified me, but my father took it a step further, convincing me that the possessed demon girl was real and lurking in our home. This belief tormented me for two years, making me too frightened to go to the bathroom alone, often waking my father to accompany me.
Now, as an adult, I revisit this 1973 classic, delving into its creation, themes, the infamous ‘curse,’ and the lasting impact on my life and the world of horror cinema.
In the beginning was the Word — John 1:1
Background On the Novel by William Peter Blatty
‘Perhaps evil is the crucible of goodness… and perhaps even Satan — Satan, in spite of himself — somehow serves to work out the will of God.’
— William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist
In 1949, a case of exorcism was reported in the Washington Post, which involved a 14-year-old boy and two priests who attempted to rid him of a demon.
During the event, ministers witnessed furniture sliding across the floor and the teen cursing in Latin as the priests shouted, ‘In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, I cast thee (the devil) out!’
Blatty’s novel, published in 1971, swiftly became a bestseller, drawing inspiration from this real exorcism incident and his own Catholic background. The novel delves into the interplay between faith and the supernatural, offering more than spooks and existential despair; it presents a fundamentally Christian narrative.
That being said, I found the novel to be a lukewarm and contemplative experience, but such is the nature of literature; in 1973, with the movie’s release, the terror of The Exorcist truly leapt to life.
Director William Friedkin’s Approach to Adapting the Book
‘With The Exorcist we said what we wanted to say. Neither one of us view it as a horror film. We view it as a film about the mysteries of faith.’
— William Friedkin
Above all, the director aimed to remain authentic to the source material, understanding that this wasn’t about chills and thrills but an exploration of faith in the face of the supernatural.
To achieve this, Friedkin collaborated with the novel’s author, William Peter Blatty. It took extensive research on exorcisms to ensure authenticity in the film’s portrayal of the supernatural, consulting with priests who had firsthand experience in the field. As a result, the exorcism section of the film took nearly a month to shoot and was filmed entirely in sequence.
Friedkin’s dedication to the story and characters extended to his casting choices, which included non-actors for some roles, such as actual priests, to enhance the film’s texture and infuse it with real-life spiritual elements.
Unconventional Casting Choices and Linda Blair’s Iconic Role
During early casting for The Exorcist, Warner Bros.’ Ted Ashley considered Hollywood heavyweights like Audrey Hepburn, Anne Bancroft, and Jane Fonda for the role of Chris MacNeil. But director William Friedkin had a different vision.
Friedkin decided that Ellen Burstyn was the ideal choice for Chris MacNeil, a role that earned her an Academy Award nomination. For the role of Father Merrin, he cast Max von Sydow, a challenge that required makeup artistry to age the actor convincingly. Additionally, Jason Miller, a playwright and stage actor with no prior film experience, played Father Karras.
Linda Blair’s portrayal of 12-year-old Regan MacNeil in The Exorcist made her an iconic figure, earning her a Golden Globe, despite a few elements of the role, like the dubbed demonic voice and stunt double, not being her own. Unfortunately, her performance also led to death threats.
Plot and Character Development
Chris MacNeil is a thriving actress and single mother; her life takes a dark turn as her 12-year-old daughter, Regan, becomes possessed by a demon, which sets the stage for the story’s climax, dragging her innocence into the heart of the narrative.
Father Karras, a priest and psychiatrist grappling with faith and his mother’s death, takes on Regan’s possession case; he is assisted by Father Merrin, an elderly priest with a history involving the demon Pazuzu, the Babylonian personification of the demon winds. Though the animal-human hybrid figure of the demon is shown when Merrin discovers a Pazuzu artefact in the desert, as well as in a few other scenes, it is never explicitly stated to be the demon that’s possessing Regan in the original book or film (until the 1977 sequel, The Exorcist II: The Heretic).
Tragically, towards the end of the story, both men die during the exorcism — Father Merrin due to heart failure and Karras as a noble act of self-sacrifice, bearing the sins of the other upon himself and becoming a living embodiment of the ‘mystery of goodness.’
Additional characters contribute to the story’s depth, including Burke Dennings, a director collaborating with Chris, who is killed by the demon, and Lt. William Kinderman, a detective probing Dennings’ death.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood — Ephesians 6:12
Theological and Psychological Themes
Originally conceived as a theological drama, The Exorcist evolved into a horrific exploration faith, goodness, and humanity’s worthiness in the eyes of God.
The Exorcist takes a deep dive into the interplay between psychology and faith. Father Karras, embodying this intersection, navigates his internal conflicts along with supernatural occurrences using a blend of scientific methodologies and traditional Catholic rituals. His journey is a reflection of the struggle between human vulnerability and the malevolent intentions of demonic forces.
An excerpt from the novel elucidates this struggle further, suggesting that the demon’s motivations extend beyond possession, aiming to engulf all in an aura of despair:
‘Yet I think the demon’s target is not the possessed; it is us… the observers… every person in this house. And I think — I think the point is to make us despair; to reject our own humanity, Damien: to see ourselves as ultimately bestial; as ultimately vile and putrescent; without dignity; ugly; unworthy.’
—William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist
The film, through its unapologetic authenticity, handheld camera work, unconventional locations, and minimalist soundtrack, enhances this exploration, targeting the viewer’s psyche and inviting a personal confrontation with these spiritual and psychological themes. In its entirety, The Exorcist emerges as a nuanced bridging of the often impassable divide between science and religion, providing a depiction of the struggles of faith and psychological turmoil.
The movie achieves this goal by challenging the human spirit with questions of divine intervention, goodness, worthiness, and the need for both spiritual and psychological enlightenment for the well-being of the body, mind, and soul.
Spiritual Warfare
In the Scriptures, Paul emphasises the importance of wielding the word of God in spiritual warfare:
‘Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.’
— Ephesians 6:17
What sets The Exorcist apart from typical horror films is its exploration of spiritual warfare, transforming the ‘sword of the Spirit’ into a weapon against darkness while engaging in philosophical discourse akin to Socratic dialogues.
The battle between God and the Devil unfolds not in physical combat but through a clash of words, ideas, and wills, compelling the audience to ponder the reality of confronting such forces. Pazuzu manipulates Father Karras by using his deceased mother’s voice to exploit his guilt, instilling in him a sense of unworthiness of God’s love. As the story progresses, Karras realises that his inner struggles — lack of faith, unworthiness, guilt — are embodied by the demonic presence, symbolising the cold rationalism that had driven the priest to the pits of despair.
‘The demon is a liar. He will lie to confuse us; but he will also mix lies with the truth to attack us. His attack is psychological, Damien. And powerful.’
—William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist
His crisis of faith was not a result of personal inadequacy but a descent into a hyper-rational realm akin to the fallen angels, where the illusory constructs of pure logic took on an unsettling semblance of reality.
Social and Cultural Context
In the early 1970s, The Exorcist emerged during a time marked by the anti-war peace movements, the sexual revolution, and shifting cultural norms.
In contrast to these values, the movie, with its themes of possession and demons, portrayed a world where malevolent entities threatened to annihilate the innocent. Protestant revivalist Rev. Billy Graham criticised The Exorcist, likening it to exposing oneself ‘to the devil’ and deeming it ‘spiritual pornography pandering to man’s innate superstition’.
Amid concerns from conservative religious groups who feared that a counterculture movement was capitalising on the film’s frenzy, audiences responded with fervour, leading to long lines for screenings and reports of individuals fainting, vomiting, and exhibiting possession-like behaviour within the auditoriums.
Surprisingly, upon its release, many officials of the Catholic Church praised the film, recognising its role in generating interest in Catholic tradition and portraying Catholic priests as heroes carrying out a time-honoured ritual with roots in the New Testament. In fact, the Church attributes a substantial increase in applications for the priesthood to the film’s influence.
It’s intriguing how a film delving into spiritual warfare could spill into the mainstream and serve as the backdrop for a significant, multi-layered cultural clash.
What is hidden will be revealed — Luke 8:17
Accidents
During the production of The Exorcist, a series of uncanny accidents unfolded, adding to the film’s mystique.
Prior to the start of filming, a devastating on-set fire cast an ominous tone for what was to come. Jason Miller, who played Father Karras, faced a personal ordeal when his son was involved in a near-fatal motorcycle accident. A crew member lost a toe, and a carpenter severed his thumb. The unsettling events continued: a mysterious disappearance of a 10-foot demon statue en route to Iraq, followed by a sudden fire that engulfed Regan’s family home, ignited by a bird that flew into a circuit box.
The only section that survived the fire was the bedroom, the very location of the exorcism scenes. It took six weeks to rebuild the set, and a priest was summoned to bless it and make the cast and crew feel more at ease.
Deaths
The production of The Exorcist was not only marked by a challenging filming process and numerous accidents that took their toll on everyone involved, but it was also marred by a series of tragic deaths behind the scenes.
Nine people associated with the production died during filming. Actor Jack MacGowran, who played Burke Dennings, succumbed to complications related to influenza before the film’s release, casting a shadow over the project. Tragedy struck further with the loss of a newborn baby belonging to an assistant cameraman and the mysterious death of a night watchman. Furthermore, a member of the film’s cast, playing a nurse, was involved in a heinous act, taking the life of a reporter before the film’s release.
Despite these real-life incidents, many have dismissed claims of a curse surrounding the film as superstition. Actor Max Von Sydow (Father Karras), in the Fear of God documentary, commented: ‘If you shoot something for a year, people are going to get hurt, people are going to die.’ He added, ‘It’s very good for publicity, but if you don’t believe in the devil, you don’t believe in curses.’
Special Effects
The Exorcist is celebrated for its iconic, low-budget special effects, particularly the image of the white-faced demon flashed subliminally throughout the film.
The 360-degree twist of Regan’s head in the film was achieved using a rubber dummy of Linda Blair, enhanced by clever on-set lighting techniques.
The ‘help me’ engraving on Regan’s stomach was crafted using a prosthetic that resembled Blair’s own anatomy.
According to IMDb Movie Trivia, ‘the actors reveal that in many shots it was not necessary to “act,” as what was captured on film were genuine reactions.’ For example, Burstyn’s authentic facial reaction and scream after being slapped by Regan were due to a harness mishap during the crucifix scene, which led to a permanent spine injury. Burstyn later shared that Friedkin was aware of the physical risks involved, and you can visibly witness the moment she gets injured in the film.
During the scene where Burstyn hurt her back, Friedkin cut the shoot and asked for a second take, as she recalled in the documentary The Fear of God:‘Billy said, “Well, it has to look real.’” She voiced her concerns about the potential for injury, but despite her reservations the take was used in the film. Burstyn expressed her anger, stating, ‘I was so furious and said, “Turn the effin’ camera off!” Because I couldn’t stand that he was willing to just get a quick shot of it before they called the ambulance.’
Linda Blair also revealed that she suffered a fractured lower back due to convulsing in a harness, resulting in a perpetual battle with scoliosis. In The Fear of God documentary, she recalled the agony, pleading, ‘Please, make it stop. It hurts. It burns!’ Unfortunately, her genuine cries of distress were misconstrued as scripted lines, leading the crew to continue filming, unknowingly exacerbating her injury. Blair recounted the harrowing experience, stating, ‘That’s the footage they used in the movie, where I’m crying my eyes out because they are brutally damaging my back.’
These special effects, practical in nature, added to the film’s unforgettable and unsettling visuals, contributing to the film’s status as a horror classic.
But the name of the wicked will rot — Proverbs 10:7
Critical Reception and Box Office Success
‘One of the best things that could happen is if the Pope denounces it.’
- William Friedkin
Upon release, The Exorcist captivated audiences with its vulgarity, subliminal images, and a genuine feeling of horror that left some viewers feeling ill or faint and others in a state of distress and shock. The film’s link to a real exorcism and the controversies surrounding it only added to its fascination.
The Exorcist also made a splash commercially, grossing over $441 million worldwide (over $3 billion in today’s economy). It received ten Academy Award nominations, securing two wins, one for Best Adapted Screenplay and another for Best Sound Mixing. Additionally, the film received seven Golden Globe Award nominations, clinching four, including Best Motion Picture — Drama.
Rooted in a slow-burn narrative, The Exorcist still holds the title of one of the scariest movies ever made. Grounded in realism, marred by death and tragedy, and enhanced by low-budget practical effects, it carries a unique sense of dread to this day. The brilliant soundscapes crafted by a team led by Robert Knudson and Chris Newman are an achievement that remains a standout in the horror genre.
Addressing timeless themes of faith, good versus evil, and the human condition, it has maintained its relevance. The Exorcist not only legitimised supernatural horror as a commercially viable genre but also raised industry standards through innovative marketing and wider distribution.
Deliver us from evil — Matthew 6:13
I re-watched The Exorcist recently for the first time since my father showed it to me. While a hint of apprehension lingered, I confronted it with a desire to understand what makes it a cinematic masterpiece.
Encountering The Exorcist at a young age left a lasting impact on my perception of horror; I internalised the experience into a fascination for things that frighten me, and revisiting the film as an adult only reaffirmed the power of cinematic storytelling.
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