No5: The Exorcist (1973)

Title: The Exorcist
Director: William Friedkin
Written By: William Peter Blatty
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair

When a teenage girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two priests to save her daughter.

Initial Thoughts:

Hers:

This was hubbo’s pick but I think my pick when we bought it.  It was a Saturday night, we were in London with all the infinite bars and clubs, and we could have been out socialising instead but not us!  We watched The Exorcist.  I have to say this was the first wobble I have had during this project because I think I was just not in the mood (and admittedly a little bit hangry) but I was not in the mood to watch this at all.  But being such horror fans (and this being apparently THE horror film classic) how could we not?!

His:

This is exciting. As someone who has only recently been converted to the idea of horror films (and am now obsessed) this is clearly an exciting moment to watch a film that has been deemed 'The Horror' film. However I find that horror films date quite quickly and although they may be called classic they might not have the effect on you that you wish. You should always understand how something was developed though so here it goes.

After thoughts:

Hers:

You know I can fully see how people walked out of that when it was released.  I mean these days I think it would be laughed out of cinemas because we are so desensitised to any horror that doesn’t have huge budget special effects and jump scares around any corner but back when it was released I can completely see how that film might push the boundaries of what people could tolerate!

I enjoyed it though I did find it a little slow to begin.  I think you go through the first 5 minutes of the film without anyone saying anything or without any explanation of who this man is that we are stalking in Iraq.  The scene then quickly flits to Georgetown where Chris MacNeil and Regan are living.  The action starts off very subtly with the discovery of a Ouija board and Regan talking about Captain Howdy (the man that answers the Ouija board questions).  She then begins acting a bit out of sorts but again very subtly and slowly.  She is examined thoroughly by doctors and you have to watch her go through a series of painful, eye wincing tests and you feel genuine sympathy for her!  From here things ramp up enormously and she goes from sweet pre-teen to devil possessed nightmare in under 10 minutes.  The make-up is great for its time and helps you see her gradual descent into complete possession. 

The special effects again are great considering when it was filmed and released.  The bed shaking, her head revolving round, the moving furniture and the sticky green excretions(!).  It all added to the atmosphere of the film!

His:

It was as I thought, a very good film that I enjoyed watching but it has dated and I wouldn't rush to watch it again.

The story is very slow to begin with, there is no explanation of what is going on. Maybe there shouldn't be and we should be piecing together the pieces as we go, but we are used to being spoon fed plot in most films these days so it is strange when this does not happen. When we arrive in America and the story gets going fully it does a good job of introducing the characters and building up a back story to them that we can relate and sympathize with. It intertwines the mother and the priests lives before they even meet in person very cleverly and does not get stuck with two separate story arcs that need to be shoved together messily later in the film. The film also does a good job of making you relate to the soon to be possessed Regan (who must have found it difficult to be in this film at such a young age) with her trips to the hospital and the treatments and tests she undergoes.

The effects of the possession are nostalgically brilliant and as a huge fan of practical effects over CGI I loved them. Knowing that animatronics were used alongside simple effects of keeping Regan's room refrigerated highlighted the possibilities of practical effects. I can fully see why people had such an issue with this film when it first came out, even now there are elements of the possession that aren't necessarily scary but are certainly creepy.

I was a little confused by the reappearance of the old man from the beginning of the film as the older more experienced exorcist sent by the church. At no point did we know that this man was a member of the church and at no point do we know how he is really linked to the demon or if he is at all. This could be because we are expected to use our imagination but I feel that we are expected to know more than we have been given.

Throughout the film it is obvious how it has been a trail blazer for future horror films,(I swear the house layout is almost identical to the one in Paranormal Activity.) and I am glad that modern horrors have such a good solid base from which they have grown> I believe that I now have a better understanding of the history of my newly loved horror genre.