HMRWS - Starring The Devil!

[Seil]

Let me start off by saying I’m reviewing The Exorcist. I can see how “The Devil,” at least in Horror movie terms, would be a little ambiguous. But, onward and forward.

I’d go so far as to say that The Exorcist is one of my, if not my favorite horror film. It has great everything: acting, effects, sound, cinematography, everything. The movie is set in Georgetown, at a elegant house owned by Chris MacNeil, a movie star who lives with her daughter, Regan, and a few servants. Throughout the beginning of the film, Chris and Regan are shown to be very close. They’re playful, they’ve got great dialogue – they’re fun. They’ve got great chemistry together. Regan’s father is not in the film – there’s a bit of reference to him, as it seems that he’s either left Chris or they’ve separated.

Anyways, the movie starts with introductions to Chris and Regan, as well as Father Damien Karras, a priest at a local catholic college. Damien is the “Psychiatric Advisor” at Georgetown University. We’re also introduced to Karras’ mother, who is an aging Italian woman in a bad part of the city, who seems to have a few mental problems – as the film progresses, it is revealed that her mental stresses are steadily progressing to the point where Damien is forced to put her in a home. Damien is a wonderful character with a not so wonderful outlook – as a priest and a psychiatrist, he feels guilt over what’s happening to his mother, as well as the problems he faces day after day; in one of his first scenes he mentions to one of his superiors over a beer that he feels he’s “losing the faith.”

All of the characters are well thought out, well written and have great dialogue. Chris is fantastic as a steadily grief-stricken and worried mother. Karras works well as an educated modern-day priest looking at the idea of exorcism. Regan progresses from lovable pre-teen to frightening demon. I do have to say that Father Merrin - portrayed by Max von Sydow - has most of the best lines, such as this gem just as he's about to perform the exorcism, and talking with a crying Chris:

Father Merrin:What is your daughter's middle name, Mrs. MacNeil?
Chris MacNeil: Teresa.
Father Merrin: What a lovely name.

The plot of the movie, after showing us the relationships between Chris and Regan, Karras and his mother, and Karras and the diocese, begins to show us signs of Regan's possession. Regan begins to change both mentally and physically, going from charming young girl to a scarred, cussing demon. Chris - having various scenes of hosting parties and being invited to them - becomes anti-social, only keeping the company of her servants and various members of the medical profession. Regan undergoes several tests, all of which turn up normal, leaving doctors to think that there's something wrong with her brain. Chris - portrayed by Ellen Burstyn - hears from one of the doctors she visits about exorcism. She meets with Karras, Jason Miller - he talks to her about exorcism - both mentioning his lack of knowledge about it, and advising against it. He does however, agree to see Regan.

We see Regan, now fully possessed by the Devil. She looks fantastic. Well, she looks terrible - sickly, cuts all over, very pale - but the make-up job is really well done. Karras is steadily shaken by his visit, and after a look into the matter, talks with his superior about an exorcism. The exorcism itself is an experience in film history. Both Merrin and Karras play their parts well - Merrin, a man who has faced the same evil before is both kind and supporting to Chris and authoritative to the demon. Karras, alternatively, is sent out during the ritual by Merrin for an apparent lack of faith.

Everything in this film is fantastic - even more so considering it was released in the seventies. The special effects - furniture moving by itself, Regan's make-up and her powers while under the influence of the demon, everything just looks really good. There's a little shaky camera in places, but it's only in a few scenes and it doesn't take you out of the movie. I do have to say, there are a few bits that I find are badly cut - you'll suddenly go from one scene to the next too quickly. The sound is great, too. The music is ambient, and doesn't intrude upon the dialogue. Often times a bit of dialogue will continue from one scene to the next, and it works well with the flow of the movie. Regan's howling after being fully possessed is particularly haunting, especially in the scene where Fr. Merrin comes to the MacNeil house.

There's a lot of memorable moments, famous moments like the scene where Regan's head turns completely around or the scene which Chris first meets with Karras and Karras meets with Regan. Everything is very well done. I think this is a must see movie, which will help understand a few cultural references, as well as give you a few nightmares.