THE EXORCIST

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THE EXORCIST

I'm not into horror films, which may explain why I had never got around to watching this classic of the genre.

In fact to call it a classic is to understate both its commercial success (it still has the ninth highest gross in North America, adjusted for inflation) and its cultural impact.

All of which is a little surprising given that it’s not especially scary and that it’s a tough watch.  

However it is very shocking. The Devil takes over the body of Regan, a young girl, and during the film her speech is extremely vulgar, she vomits green slime, she violently attacks all who come close, and she masturbates with crosses.  No wonder the film was so controversial (and there’s no such thing as bad publicity).

It is also very intense, thanks to the director William Friedkin using a low-key quasi-documentary style as befits a film that treats the subject matter with the utmost seriousness, especially the involvement of the Catholic church.  Max von Sydow, as Father Merrin, is a perfect piece of casting in terms of injecting gravitas into the proceedings.  

In comparison modern science doesn’t get much of a look in, and the scenes at the hospital in which Regan undergoes medical tests are in their own way almost as horrific as anything that happens in her bedroom. 

The supporting cast, headed by Ellen Burstyn as Regan’s mother and Lee J Cobb as a police lieutenant, provide the solid support that contributes to the story’s power.   

Although it’s not really my thing I can certainly see why it made the impact that it did. 

RATING: ✓ ✓ Good Times

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