kind of humorous the actual exorcism in this movie only lasts 20 minutes.
I can't even begin to dive into the massive reputation and cultural impact this movie had/has, so I'm just going to talk about this movie like I would any other movie. As if you are just now sitting down for the first time knowing nothing about this movie or its history. Cool with that? great, so without further ado, let's talk about THE EXORCIST
and speaking of first-time viewers, the first question you will have is wait, why are we in the desert? It's a section of the movie that has always felt slightly out of place to me, but this time around it seems a lot more obvious. it's a great scene to set the tone, but still has a lot of unanswered questions. is the statue the same demon that will later possess Reagan? Did they awaken the spirit somehow during the dig? perhaps I'm thinking about it too much...
as for the rest of this movie, there's a lot to like. for this movie to work in the slightest, we need some well-established characters, and this movie has no problem delivering. Reagan is immediately established as the perfect kid, and the scenes with her and her mother are the very definition of a happy family. along with that Dynamic duo, we get a priest who is losing/lost his faith, and his adorable elderly mother. and just like with Reagan, the elderly mother character is immediate shown as the kindest old lady humanly imaginable. the best characters in the movie are the ones that aren't so clear-cut.
Ellen Burstyn as Reagan's mother and Jason Miller as Damien Karras are easily the best example of this movie's superb characters. Damien spends the whole movie confused, unsure, and grieving for his faith and his mother. he is an excellent audience surrogate, and I find all the scenes with him fascinating. just as fascinating, Reagan's mother has the exact opposite character ark. she opens the movie full of life and enthusiasm, and ends the movie as an emotional wreck. her feelings of total fear and confusion are a great mirror to Damien, as this movie essentially handles two sides of the same spectrum with both characters. and I haven't even talked about Linda Blair yet...
a lot of people use the term awesome without ever thinking about it what it means. awesome once simply meant something that inspires awe, and I am in awe of her work on this movie. once the possession takes hold, she transforms into a believably different person. she is terrified that she isn't in control of her body anymore, and gives an awesome performance as the demon that now resides in her.
in summary, this movie is the horror of watching everything you believe fall apart. a family structure, a man's faith in God, your own reality, sanity, and the sheer terror that comes from the unknown. it's the kind of movie that lulls you into a false sense of security, then destroys that security in front of you. its a bit slow at times, but it manages to hold that dreadful tension for the majority of the movie.
whether you find it boring or not, its a classic for a reason.
9/10
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