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The Exorcist review
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A landmark of cinema!

The Exorcist was a major hit not just within the horror genre but also cinema itself because there has never been any terror within a film that is so believable and realistic. It is a landmark of horror/thriller films alongside others such as Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, Steven Spielberg's Jaws and Jonathan Demme's The Silence Of The Lambs. It does have some science fiction parts about it but it isn't officially a science fiction film. The film was a huge success by receiving 2 Academy Awards and other nominations including Best Picture, Best Leading Actress (Ellen Burstyn) and Best Supporting Actress (Linda Blair). I could easily feel the terror of the characters especially Regan. It is a very special horror film because even after over 25 years of when it was released, it scares now and some horror films die out but this one never will because it will give you nightmares for a long time. Personally, I think horror films that are extremely scary and more psychological are better that way because they are very effective and powerful and it shows how good it is expressing at toying with your mind. Because of how scary it was around the time it was released, it was delayed for quite a while despite the Oscars and Golden Globes it won and was nominated for.


Ellen Burstyn's performance as Chris McNeil was absolutely terrific! Ellen is the mother of young girl Regan McNeil. Her performance was often terrifying in some scenes especially when with the possessed Regan. It is a shame because Chris and Regan are innocent mother and daughter but are overcome by a demon trying to control an innocent girl. Well, Linda Blair's performance; what can I say? First of all, it is without a doubt the best performance from a child in film history! I figure that the best child performances are either actors playing cute characters or scary ones. She was the perfect choice for Regan because she can play her innocent and cute side but can play her very evil side as well even though it isn't her doing it. I was terrified by the transformation from a sweet, caring and loving girl to a girl possessed by a demon but what scared me the most was the demon voice that Linda was pulling off during Regan's possession. The make-up on Linda during those possession scenes was absolutely outstanding! Also, during her transformation before it is complete, her acting is absolutely amazing!!


William Friedkin directed this film absolutely amazingly! I don't think it could've been better directed. It wanted to express true horror that will toy with your mind in a very deep psychological way. The camera work was brilliantly handled and there were a lot of awesome eerie camera angles. The scene were Regan turns her neck around completely like an owl is the most powerful scene because it shows the ultimate power that the demon has over Regan and it is a very unusual and disturbing scene. There is a lot of swearing in this film especially said from Regan under the possession of the demon. I think it was very vulgar regarding sex and sexually violent because the possessed Regan was masturbating with a crucifix. I mean, that is very powerful and it seemed realistic watching it but was violently disturbing to watch which makes it better. This was another reason why the script in this film was so damn good as well. It was very powerful regarding how emotional it was and also how tense and horrifying it is to watch. The main keyword to describe the script is "gripping".


Overall, The Exorcist is one of the most shocking, spellbinding, heart-racing and gut-retching films that have ever been released. It is one of the best thrillers and, horrors and rightly so one of the best films of all time too!

10/10
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Added by SJMJ91
14 years ago on 9 December 2009 01:56

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