The Exorcist [DVD] [1974]

This film works on many levels...it's is a horror movie that builds up momentum steadily and then takes you on a rollercoaster ride until you genuinely fear what you are going to see next. At the same time, it is a masterpiece of suspense, and is brilliantly acted by those involved. The film suffers slightly due to the rather dated special effects (which are legendary in their own right), but the essence of what is trying to be conveyed is still clear, namely the inhuman power of the demon taking hold of an innocent human being. Another slight quibble is in the sound quality which is pretty harsh, but doesn't spoil the movie...

On the DVD, I particularly enjoyed the commentary by director William Friedkin. The commentary is very much based on the discussion of the story and the meaning/significance of certain scenes as opposed to the 'how I did this' approach that I had expected. He discusses in detail the more subtle aspects of what the film is about, and adds value to the overall package greatly.

Of course, the director's cut includes several deleted scenes which also add to the film, including the infamous 'spider walk', although the commentary does not reveal why that particular scene was omitted (although I know from hearing Friedkin previously that it was removed because it comes immediatedly after another 'traumatic' scene, where Chris McNeill is told of Burke Denning's death, and the 'double hit' of trauma was deemed by Friedkin to be too much!) He sheds some interesting light on a number of other scenes, for example, the fact that most people said they thought that the most disturbing scene in the movie was the one where Regan has a spinal.. I could think of one or two other scenes that would qualify as a bit more disturbing if you ask me!!

All in all, this film is a classic and a must see. It raises a multitude of interesting issues and is ultimately a good old fashioned battle of Good versus Evil, where Good (God/Faith) ultimately prevails, despite interpretations to the contrary from a vocal minority who see the film as a satanist's charter... at times this film is difficult to watch, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to the faint-hearted (or the easily offended!), but broadminded people who like a challenge and something deeper and more profoundly interesting than your average horror, will find this DVD a welcome addition to the collection.

The plot should be familiar to just about everyone. Linda Blair, in a truly remarkable performance, plays Regan MacNeil, the sweet and innocent twelve-year-old daughter of actress Chris McNeil (Ellen Burstyn) who becomes possessed by a demon. Jason Miller is Father Karras, a Jesuit priest battling his own demons of guilt over his mother's final days on earth and starting to lose his faith at the constant scenes of misery he sees all around him. After all medical and psychiatric tests and treatments fail to stop Regan's utter deterioration into a disturbed abomination of a child, Chris contacts Father Karras in an effort to arrange an exorcism. Max von Sydow plays Father Merrin, the pinnacle of good in this film who has battled this demon before and won; he is the exorcist in this ultimate battle of good versus evil.

The Exorcist truly is a powerful movie experience, filled with several of the most shocking scenes to ever appear on film. I was surprised that so many of the more controversial aspects of the story actually made it from novel to screen, especially in the original 1973 incarnation of the film. It's really impossible for me to say which is better, the film or the novel. There are several subplots and very significant details in the novel that did not make it to the big screen, and a few little things in the movie are hard to interpret outside the context of the novel. Among the most disturbing images in this film are those of the medical tests Regan undergoes after the onset of her problems. I find it much easier to watch the most graphic scenes wherein the demon within Regan attacks her and those around her, although Regan's appearance is shockingly horrible in the later stages of her possession. The demonic manifestations and exorcism are done extremely well in the movie; Friedkin did a much more powerful and convincing job than my own imagination in terms of showing the demonic manifestations. The movie adds several things to the exorcism itself that do not appear in the novel and, by and large, gives the exorcism itself more prevalence than Blatty himself did, yet it also manages to capture and express quite well the inner struggle and soul-rending doubts and fears of Father Karras. This inner struggle of good vs evil, of faith vs hopelessness strikes me as the heart of this story, and the movie communicates this surprisingly well.

The added scenes in this updated version of the film are crucial to the integrity of the story, though there are of course other fans who will argue that the new scenes do damage to the power and vision of the original. The film is just too rushed without the new footage, and the original film strikes a discordant note with Blatty's authorial vision. The most memorable scene that, until now, was not shown in the movie was the spiderwalk scene wherein Regan climbs down the stairs in an impossible and deliciously creepy position; I can't imagine for the life of me how that scene could have been left out of the original film. I had several questions along these lines, so I made it a point to listen to the film's commentary by director William Friedkin. Friedkin's initial discussion of the filming of the opening scene in Iraq is fascinating, but throughout the rest of the film he does little more than summarize what is happening, oftentimes quoting characters line for line. I think he makes a couple of misstatements about what we are seeing, and much to my surprise he offers motivations for the characters that I disagree with rather strongly. He tells us nothing about the making of the film, offers no praise for Linda Blair, says nothing about the ways in which the demonic scenes were produced, and mentions the new additions to the film only in passing if at all. There is very little "making of" material among all the DVD features, which is the one disappointment I take with me from this release of what is arguably the most significant and famous horror movie ever made.