The Exorcist

"I think I've lost my faith..." The book itself caused such a public commotion that Warner Bros snapped up the movie rights to it almost immediately. As well as the author, they chose a rising star in directing. William Friedkin. The Exorcist was everywhere in the press and on all people’s lips, mostly in a negative way. Which, as we know, is the best way of advertising. And the crowds just kept coming, the box office takings were huge. But for all the controversy, the bans, the movie theater operators’ arrests for unauthorized screenings, people fainting in the audience, moralist outrage and tales about the director terrorizing the crew at the time, they forgot about the movie as such and what it brought (not only) to the genre. The wide range of Academy nominations change nothing about that. Although in today’s world The Exorcist has aged in terms of shockingness, but it still works perfectly on the worrying basis of “what if". Chipping away at the certainty that nothing paranormal in our world exists. The five years younger, no less phenomenal Medusa Touch works with very similar “fears" of a direct encounter with the irrational. Or at least, that’s what I think... The best moments? Apart from the very well known ending, the muted dream sequence got to me most. But I was very disappointed by the absolute refusal to exploit the ingenious main musical theme. I simply can’t think why it was used so little in the movie. The Exorcist is proof that you need “just" three things for a good horror. A director with a skill for building up and gradually thickening the atmosphere, a good screenplay and, primarily, good actors. It’s a shame that such a conjunction occurs in this genre once in a blue moon. If you’re lucky. It’s good that The Exorcist at last received recognition from a filmmaking point of view. Both the movie and Friedkin certainly deserve it. (10/02/2008)

During the scene when the bed shakes with Regan, I felt a very chilling sensation in my stomach for the first time, which showed me how confusing the previous cautiously stepping freezing had been. Because a kind of tension comes, sneaking in through the back door, unseen and unheard by anyone, and when you let yourself be lightly enticed, it strikes fully. And when the vomiting or the escalated conclusion easily overcome all the deaf moments from the first half, it's a win. This girl deserves her place among the classics. (14/06/2006)

This film is incredibly bold, atmospheric, and intense for its time. What couldn't be achieved with visual effects is resolved with brilliant camera work and the constant feeling of escalating tension, culminating in the literally heart-stopping exorcism sequence. It is an exceptional thing, but very difficult to watch. (29/11/2004)

The Exorcist was obviously directed by someone who understood the film industry, the audience, and the market. At the time of filming, there was a peak of interest in the trendy satanic theme, and the audience was already accustomed to many things. One of the few remaining taboos was the connection of satanism with a child as a symbol of innocence. Within a short period, three genre films were created that successfully attempted this and gained cult film status. Alongside The Omen and Rosemary's Baby was The Exorcist. Shocked viewers held their breath as they watched the fragile girl transform into a vulgar monster full of anger. Unfortunately, for me, The Exorcist has always been a film where the prologue and the final scene work. What comes in between, which logically makes up the majority, goes over my head due to its excessive literalness. The prologue, which is unrelated to the rest of the story, is filled with sinister anticipation, tension, and a menacing premonition. Something is not right, but you still don't know where the blow will come from. In the final scene of the film, the camera focuses on the stairs in front of the house where someone had died shortly before. Through that shot, you feel an unspoken question - will the horror continue? The rest of the film plays with such open cards and is so descriptive that it simply becomes uninteresting to me. The director wants to emotionally manipulate me, but it doesn't work anymore because we don't live in the early 70s. For me, it still holds true that fear and tension are best evoked by what you cannot see and do not know. A film is the most powerful when it leaves you to wander in uncertainty. A film like The Exorcism of Emily Rose is much more attractive and impactful to me. Overall impression: 40%. (08/11/2013)

Well, the filmmaking is undoubtedly excellent and the atmosphere is quite unpleasant in some moments, but given that this is considered the scariest film of all time, I was not extremely tense while watching it. It moves pretty slowly and the director seems to be unhurriedly strumming on the viewer's nerves. Things get a lot more intense as time goes on, Linda Blair's face becomes less and less likeable and her horrific actions move the story along at lightning speed. Unfortunately, after the premature climax, when Linda runs down the stairs in an absolutely insane position, the film couldn't surprise me anymore and all the tension vanished after the door to Satan's room was opened, just as user Tosim writes. The strongest and most suspenseful horror film for me remains Kubrick's The Shining. 75% (06/11/2011)