The Exorcist (1973)

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

Director:

William Friedkin

Writers:

William Peter Blatty (written for the screen by), William Peter Blatty (novel)

Stars:

Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair

Top Rated Movies #246 | Won 2 Oscars. Another 14 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ellen Burstyn	...	Chris MacNeil
Max von Sydow	...	Father Merrin
Lee J. Cobb	...	Lt. William Kinderman
Kitty Winn	...	Sharon
Jack MacGowran	...	Burke Dennings
Jason Miller	...	Father Karras
Linda Blair	...	Regan
William O'Malley	...	Father Dyer (as Reverend William O'Malley S.J.)
Barton Heyman	...	Dr. Klein
Peter Masterson	...	Dr. Barringer - Clinic Director (as Pete Masterson)
Rudolf Schündler	...	Karl
Gina Petrushka	...	Willi
Robert Symonds	...	Dr. Taney
Arthur Storch	...	Psychiatrist
Thomas Bermingham	...	Tom - President of University (as Reverend Thomas Bermingham S.J.)

Storyline

A visiting actress in Washington, D.C., notices dramatic and dangerous changes in the behavior and physical make-up of her 12-year-old daughter. Meanwhile, a young priest at nearby Georgetown University begins to doubt his faith while dealing with his mother's terminal sickness. And, book-ending the story, a frail, elderly priest recognizes the necessity for a show-down with an old demonic enemy.

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Plot Keywords:

exorcist | exorcism | demonic possession | demonic force | priest | 

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Taglines:

The Scariest Movie Of All Time Has Returned. In The Version You've Never Seen Before.

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Genres:

Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language and disturbing images

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Warner Brothers

Country:

USA

Language:

English Latin Greek French German Arabic Kurdish

Release Date:

26 December 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist

Filming Locations:

3600 Prospect Street, Georgetown, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Hoya Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min 132 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (1979 re-release) DTS-ES (director's cut) Dolby Digital EX (director's cut) Mono (original release) SDDS (director's cut)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When originally released in the UK a number of town councils imposed a complete ban on the showing of the film. This led to the bizarre spectacle of "Exorcist Bus Trips" where enterprising travel companies organised buses to take groups to the nearest town where the film was showing.

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Goofs

The wire that yanks Chris (when possessed Regan smacks her to the ground) can be seen lifting the bottom of the curtain where her head lands.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Boy: [in Arabic] They've found something... small pieces.

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Crazy Credits

There are no opening credits after the title. Although it is commonplace now, it was unheard of in 1973.

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Alternate Versions

The scene where the Demonic entity leaves Father Karres was originally done by filming Jason Miller in possession makeup, then stopping the camera and shooting him again with the makeup removed. This creates a noticeable jump in Father Karress's position as he is unpossessed. The 25'th anniversary video releases of "The Exorcist" smooth over the jumpy transition with a subtle computer morph effect. This updated effect was not featured in the prints used for the 75th Anniversary Warner Brothers film festivals

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Connections

Referenced in DMT: The Spirit Molecule (2010)

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Soundtracks

Fantasia for Strings
Written by Hans Werner Henze
Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon

User Reviews

THE EXORCIST---A PERFECT FILM

Many people complain that this movie's too slow but those are the kind of folks who only like 80-minute splatter films with characters so dumb and one-sided, you pray for the bad guy to kill them. This monster of a drama is both beautiful and bold. It has CHARACTERS and not simply LAMEBRAINS lined up for slaughter. It has class and purpose. It takes the audience into the darkest recesses of humankind and then brings them back through a message of hope and self-sacrifice. The movie is NOT anti-religion, it's anti-evil. Anyone who likes smart, clever, meaningful horror-drama should see this film at least twice. It is surprisingly touching and amazingly powerful.

That said, the cast deserves a hand for their wonderful performances. Ellen Burstyn perfectly conveys the tension of a mother of the cusp of tragedy; Max von Sydow is hauntingly perfect as the story's ray of light; Jason Miller embodies the sadness of a defeated man; and Linda Blair is far above average even at her young age.

Once again, see this movie. You won't forget it.