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The Exorcist

  • 1973
  • R
  • 2h 2m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
478K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
737
22
Max von Sydow in The Exorcist (1973)
When a 12-year-old girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two priests to save her.
Play trailer1:43
4 Videos
99+ Photos
Body HorrorPsychological DramaPsychological HorrorSupernatural HorrorTragedyHorror

When a mysterious entity possesses a young girl, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.When a mysterious entity possesses a young girl, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.When a mysterious entity possesses a young girl, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.

  • Director
    • William Friedkin
  • Writer
    • William Peter Blatty
  • Stars
    • Ellen Burstyn
    • Max von Sydow
    • Linda Blair
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.1/10
    478K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    737
    22
    • Director
      • William Friedkin
    • Writer
      • William Peter Blatty
    • Stars
      • Ellen Burstyn
      • Max von Sydow
      • Linda Blair
    • 1.5KUser reviews
    • 267Critic reviews
    • 83Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #229
    • Won 2 Oscars
      • 18 wins & 21 nominations total

    Videos4

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:43
    Official Trailer
    The Exorcist: 40th Anniversary Blu-ray Edition
    Trailer 1:41
    The Exorcist: 40th Anniversary Blu-ray Edition
    The Exorcist: 40th Anniversary Blu-ray Edition
    Trailer 1:41
    The Exorcist: 40th Anniversary Blu-ray Edition
    The Exorcist
    Trailer 0:31
    The Exorcist
    All About The Exorcist: Believer
    Clip 1:38
    All About The Exorcist: Believer

    Photos289

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    Top cast42

    Edit
    Ellen Burstyn
    Ellen Burstyn
    • Chris MacNeil
    Max von Sydow
    Max von Sydow
    • Father Merrin
    Linda Blair
    Linda Blair
    • Regan
    Lee J. Cobb
    Lee J. Cobb
    • Lt. Kinderman
    Kitty Winn
    Kitty Winn
    • Sharon
    Jack MacGowran
    Jack MacGowran
    • Burke Dennings
    Jason Miller
    Jason Miller
    • Father Karras
    William O'Malley
    William O'Malley
    • Father Dyer
    • (as Reverend William O'Malley S.J.)
    Barton Heyman
    Barton Heyman
    • Dr. Klein
    Peter Masterson
    Peter Masterson
    • Dr. Barringer - Clinic Director
    • (as Pete Masterson)
    Rudolf Schündler
    Rudolf Schündler
    • Karl
    Gina Petrushka
    • Willi
    Robert Symonds
    Robert Symonds
    • Dr. Taney
    Arthur Storch
    Arthur Storch
    • Psychiatrist
    Thomas Bermingham
    • Tom - President of University
    • (as Reverend Thomas Bermingham S.J.)
    Vasiliki Maliaros
    Vasiliki Maliaros
    • Karras' Mother
    Titos Vandis
    Titos Vandis
    • Karras' Uncle
    John Mahon
    John Mahon
    • Language Lab Director
    • Director
      • William Friedkin
    • Writer
      • William Peter Blatty
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews1.5K

    8.1477.6K
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    Summary

    Reviewers say 'The Exorcist' is acclaimed for its deep exploration of faith and evil, with standout performances by Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, and Max von Sydow. Its eerie atmosphere, Mike Oldfield's score, and Friedkin's direction are lauded. Practical effects and character depth are noted. Some find the pacing slow and story lacking, yet it remains a cultural and genre milestone.
    AI-generated from the text of user reviews

    Featured reviews

    10Collins

    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.
    8stephenneale67

    Still a powerful film, more than thirty years on...

    More than thirty years on, The Exorcist remains a very powerful film and was a cinematographic milestone in 1973. Repeated duplication of the genre has, no doubt, 'desensitized' a new generation of movie-watchers, though it remains an unnerving masterpiece. It is not difficult to understand why the film generated such a seismic global impact all those years ago, since it imposed an unprecedented sensory attack on the viewer. Regan's vile physical appearance, combined with her vile language and blasphemous diatribe sent a shock wave around the world. Moreover, many people seemed to believe the claims that the film was based on a true story and could therefore actually happen to them. Electricity consumption must have soared for several months in 1973 as people who had seen the film slept with their lights on! It is still not a film I would feel comfortable watching before going to bed. On another level, I found parts of it profoundly moving and actually cried at the end when Regan was finally released from her possessor and wept in the arms of her mother and Father Damien, having lunged himself through a window and down a precipitous flight of steps, managed to find just enough life in himself to indicate that he had retained his faith and repented of his sins by motioning his fingers in the sign of penitence when comforted by a distraught colleague. Possibly the only thing that lets the film down if one really sits and thinks about it is the underpinning concept that an ancient demon which had existed since the dawn of time should wish to possess the body of a twelve year old child and emit a string of juvenile profanities. But then the film was designed to shock all along!
    10clydestuff

    The Devil Made Her Do It

    In late 1973 and early 1974, women and men were lined up for blocks. People were known to become ill watching it. Some fainted. Some ran out of the theater in tears. There were reports of people having to be institutionalized, and at least one miscarriage was attributed to viewing it. No, it wasn't a Rolling Stones Concert. It was a film called The Exorcist.

    The first time I had heard of something called The Exorcist was on late night television when the author, William Peter Blatty, was a guest on The Tonight Show. The conversation centered around how horrible some of the things in the book were. I had also seen the novel listed on The New York Times Bestseller List, and it seemed as if it would remain there forever. After having been on the waiting list for what seemed like an eternity at the local library, I was finally able to obtain a copy. It was the first book I had read in one sitting since probably Nancy Drew and The Hidden Staircase quite a few years earlier. And yes, for it's time it was filled with gut wrenching details of what happens when for some unexplained reason; an innocent girl is possessed by Satan. While reading the book I was sure that if it ever made its way to film, most of the details would certainly be either `cleaned up' or omitted altogether. As you know the film was made and it spared the movie going public absolutely nothing in the way of details.

    Certainly many of the people who lined up to see The Exorcist did so to watch some of the more gruesome scenes, the worst of which involved Regan's masturbation with a crucifix. Yet, the hysteria went well beyond the fact that such scenes were so vividly depicted. I think one needs to look no further than Mel Gibson's The Passion to find the answer as to why. I'm sure most of you have read the story of people leaving Mel's film in tears, some to the point of being hysterical. From most articles I have read, it seems that the majority of the audience that was moved were those people of strong religious beliefs. For many others, the depiction of the brutality in The Passion may have been uncomfortable to sit through, but weren't emotionally effected to any degree. Much of this same feeling can explain the hysteria surrounding The Exorcist. Those who had a definitive belief in Heaven and Hell, of Good and Evil, of Jesus as The Savior and Satan as the epitome of pure evil were affected by The Exorcist far more than those who were agnostic or just never had a strong belief in spiritual matters. There is no doubt though that much in the way The Passion did, The Exorcist caused many to reconsider how they felt about their faith. The Exorcist made the prospect of Satan being alive and well and a life of eternal damnation a very uncomfortable prospect. The fact that Blatty claims his book and screenplay were based on a true story seemed to give the film even more credibility.

    For me, The Exorcist has always been more about the never ending conflict between pure evil and pure innocence than about being an average horror story. There are many more levels to this film than what initially meets the eye. There is no doubt that while the main story revolves around an innocent young girl, Regan McNeil (Linda Blair), being inhabited by Satan himself, Blatty enhances it greatly by adding different characters in various stages of conflict. Regan's mother, Chris McNeil (Ellen Burstyn) obviously cares deeply for her daughter. Yet she is not beyond reproach. In one scene when Reagan's father hasn't called on Regan's birthday, we see her desperately on the phone doing battle with an overseas operator. The problem is not how vicious the phone call is, but that she does it within ear shot of her daughter as if to drive the point home to Regan how worthless her father is. When, she finally does seek the aid of Father Damian Karras, we don't feel that she believes in exorcism anymore than he does, but is desperate enough to accept the fact that it is possible and will take any and all measures to save her daughter.

    Father Karras (Jason Miller) is a priest torn by conflict. He is ridden by overwhelming guilt for having abandoned his mother to enter the priesthood. He is torn spiritually by the confessions of those priests who seek his help as a psychiatrist, so much so that he now questions his own faith. When he states to the Bishop that `Regan's case meets all the criteria,' we know that even more than Chris, he doesn't really believe in the power of Satan to inhabit a living being in the manner that it has taken over Regan. Yet, he will do what is required of him as a priest concerned about the health of a child.

    Jack McGowran gives a terrific performance as the alcoholic director filming Chris's latest film in Georgetown. Kitty Winn is Sharon Spencer, the secretary who works for Chris and always seems to be in the line of fire when Chris is angry. She is always there but for all the horror she witnesses, Winn appears too bland and emotionless and her performance is probably the weakest in the film.

    Max Von Sydow as Father Lancester Merrin is a no nonsense aging priest. He has done battle with evil before and he shows us its effect in every scene he occupies. One could pass it off to being just good make-up but it is so much more than that as Sydow demonstrates all the nuances that brings to life a man who has faced Satan and lived to tell about it. He knows what he is up against, understands he must do it again and the consequences of what that battle may be.

    If I have a small complaint with The Exorcist it is in regards to the character of Lt. Kinderman (Lee J. Cobb). I have never been able to buy into the character. It is not the fault of Cobb who is his usual stalwart self in the role. The whole character should at best have only been necessary for a few brief scenes yet; he has several that go on way too long and do not add anything to the story. Even in his scenes with Chris or Damian, Kinderman is so odd that he distracts us too much from their characters and it is Chris and Damian's reactions that are more important to us, not his investigation. For all you trivia buffs out there, Blatty once sued the producers of Columbo, stating they based Peter Falk's character on Kinderman. If memory serves me correctly Blatty lost that one.

    As for Director William Friedken, although he won the best director award for The French Connection, for me The Exorcist will always remain his defining film. The Final half hour of The Exorcist are still as dynamic today as they were 31 years ago, French Connection car chase be damned.

    It seems that to many of the younger movie audiences of today, The Exorcist has become more of a joke than anything else. That's not surprising considering how many times it has been lampooned, even by Linda Blair herself in Repossessed. Yet, if they were to view the film in a more serious vein, not as just another creature feature, they may just find that there really is more to this film than a little girl spewing pea soup and spinning her head around 360 degrees. It is the ultimate battle between Heaven and Hell and Good and Evil. It is the story of the complete and total degradation of innocence. It is a study in character, and whether a man torn by the forces surrounding him, can regain his faith and his belief in God and mankind to save the life of a little girl, caught up in forces beyond her control.

    Call it a horror film, call it a religious film, call it what you want. For me, The Exorcist is and will always remain a classic in every sense of the word. And if I regard you as a classic of any kind I have no choice but to leave you with my grade, which for The Exorcist is an A.
    10NpMoviez

    One of the greatest ever!!

    Some movies are landmarks. This is one of them.

    Good : There are a lot of goods that I can talk about this particular film. First off, every gothic horror, for example, The Conjuring, are inspired by this film in one way or the other. But, none of them are as good as this one. I love Conjuring 1 & 2, but that might have never existed if it weren't for this movie. So, what makes it so good? We are given a mysterious introduction to an old priest who would play a prominent role later. It gives layers to the character of young priest, which is quite interesting. The set up is done quite well. The story is being told quite well. And it has the most important aspect that most horror films today lack - the dread and actually terrifying scenes. Right from the opening credits, it feels uneasy. It tries to give us a really terrifying vibe. And it just intensifies further and further. Even the scenes having no tension don't feel like so. And, it cuts to some terrifying scenes so suddenly but smoothly that we will be exclaiming "holy (you know what)!". That's some true horror film. It was 1973. You had absolutely no technology or CGI. They still made an entire bed shake which looked so scary and realistic! The 180 degree turn is still an awesome effect. They did it way better, and all of it looked more realistic than CGI! It had some ideas involving Ouija board and exorcism, which are now termed as "clichés". Having watched so many horror films before watching this, it should've felt corny. But it felt real good. There is probably no horror movie, in particular a supernatural or gothic horror movie, that has not been inspired by this movie in some way or the other. And the ones which got as many things right as possible as in this one, were respectively better. This movie is a masterpiece!!

    Bad : It has sequels. Damn those pathetic sequels!! But again, good God almighty, only few people know about those stupid movies.

    Conclusion : It is a must watch for every horror fan. Some parts may feel clichéd to some, but that's where those "clichés" started. Go with a fresh mind and examine how it all started. I am optimistic that you will love it.

    Rating.

    Score : absolute 10/10

    Grade : A+
    10Smells_Like_Cheese

    An intense and very terrifying movie that will make you sleep with the bible a few nights in a row

    The Exorcist is one of the best movies to come out of the 70's and deserves better than slowly descending down the top 250. It's one of those essential films you have to see in order to understand what a movie truly is and this is more than a horror film. Unfortunately there are so many people who are saying they got bored, I think because they expected a terrifying movie, people! This isn't a slasher movie, this isn't some scary Michael Myers that you can shoot, this is a story about normal people in a normal house and upstairs there is a little girl who happens to be possessed by "The devil himself". Faith is so strong and when it's shaken, anything in your imagination can run wild.

    First off the actors: Ellen Burstyn plays Chris McNeil, an actress working in Washington, D.C. on a film. She is the mother of Regan, the little girl who is possessed. I felt such sorrow for Chris, when she begs Father Karras to help her with Regan, I almost cried for her. Her daughter is not sick, this is nothing she can give Regan a pill and she'll be better. Her speech to Father Karras later on in the film: "You show me Regan's double, same face, same voice, everything. And I'd know it wasn't Regan. I'd know in my gut. Now, I want you to tell me that you know for a fact that there's nothing wrong with my daughter, except in her mind. You tell me for a fact that an exorcism wouldn't do any good! You tell me that!" sent shivers down my spine, this woman knows what Regan needs and will do whatever she can.

    We have Linda Blair who plays Regan and she was so great for a 12 year old actress. This little apple faced girl became one of the most frightening images of the 70's and still to this day. She's not scary because she's swearing, this little innocent girl has been taken over by forces that she shouldn't even know about. Jason Miller as Father Karras, for a man who had never acted professionally before, he was quite amazing as a priest who just lost his mother and his faith has been shaken up. Max Von Sydow as Father Merrin was so strong and he was like in his 20's playing a man in his 90's. He was robbed of an Oscar, he was so believable and just amazing during the exorcism scene.

    The effects? People! This was the 70's and they made a bed float! They turned this little angel's face into a hideous creature! If you watch the documentary "Fear of God: The Making of the Exorcist", Ellen Burstyn gets slapped by Regan in the film and she had kind of a rope tied around her waist. When the stunt man pulled her back, Billy the director told the guy to let her have it and he YANKED her back hard causing real pain in Ellen's back and that was an actual scream in the movie. They froze the room to the point as were moisture got into the set and there was a layer of snow in the morning they were shooting. There was no CGI, this was the real deal and I believe could truly help the actors. Linda Blair was being thrashed up and down during one of the possessed scenes where the bracing came loose and caused slamming of metal to her back repeatedly and her screams were also very real and bone chilling.

    William Freidkin is the director of The Exorcist, and there was no better choice. This guy took this picture seriously, so far as to shoot a gun offstage or scream obscenities to get an actor's shocked reaction on film. He slapped almost punched Reverend William O'Malley who played Father Dyer to get him to shake during his reciting the Last Rites to Father Karras. He almost would have killed to make this picture and anyone doing it.

    Weither or not the set of The Exorcist was truly cursed with a total of 9 deaths linked to the film, a fire on the set with no apparent reason, and the total feeling of evil around the room, we'll never know. But The Exorcist is a true motion picture never to missed or deserve no more than the true compliments it should get! This is the film that should be shown to any aspiring film makers. It's a masterpiece of a film that's more than a mere horror flick.

    10/10

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      (at around 1h 20 mins) When Regan projectile vomits at Father Karras, the vomit was intended to hit Jason Miller in the chest, but the plastic tubing misfired, hitting him in the face. His reaction of shock and disgust while wiping away the vomit is genuine, and Miller admitted in interviews that he was very angered by this mistake.
    • Goofs
      William Peter Blatty closely modeled the exorcism scene on the actual rite of exorcism in the Church's "Rituale Romanum". Father Merrin can be seen opening a copy of the Rituale in the scene in question. However, the priests depart from the Rituale in two important details. First, there should have been four people (apart from Regan) in the room during the exorcism: the exorcist himself; an assistant priest to take over in case the exorcist died midway through; a member of the victim's family of the same sex as the victim, to help restrain her; and a doctor, to (among other things) administer any medication that was needed. Due to the "2 Priest rule", Fr Merrin should have delayed the second round of the exorcism and phoned the bishop to get a replacement for Fr Karras, instead of trying to tackle it on his own.
    • Quotes

      Demon: What an excellent day for an exorcism.

      Father Karras: You would like that?

      Demon: Intensely.

      Father Karras: But wouldn't that drive you out of Regan?

      Demon: It would bring us together.

      Father Karras: You and Regan?

      Demon: You and us.

    • Crazy credits
      There are no opening credits after the title. Although it is commonplace now, it was unheard of in 1973.
    • Alternate versions
      The network TV version originally broadcast on CBS in the '80s was edited by William Friedkin, who also shot a replacement insert of the Virgin Mary statue crying blood, replacing the shot of a more obscenely desecrated statue. Friedkin himself spoke the Demon's new, censored lines; he was unwilling to work with Mercedes McCambridge again. The lines "Your mother sucks cocks in hell, Karras" and "Shove it up your ass you faggot" were re-dubbed by Friedkin as "Your mother still rots in hell" and "Shut your face, you faggot." Several of Ellen Burstyn's lines were also re-dubbed by the actress, replacing "Jesus Christ" with "Judas Priest" and omitting the f-word. Most of the profanity spoken by Regan is also cut out, as are the shots of her being abused with a crucifix and forcing Chris' face into her crotch. There is also a slightly alternate shot of Regan's face morphed into the white face of the demon just after Merrin arrives at the MacNeil house (the theatrical versions only show the beginning of the transformation). This network TV version is rarely if ever used for TV and cable showings today.
    • Connections
      Edited into Exorcist II: The Heretic: Alternate Opening (1977)
    • Soundtracks
      Kanon For Orchestra and Tape
      Written by Krzysztof Penderecki

      Courtesy of Angel Records

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    FAQ43

    • How long is The Exorcist?Powered by Alexa
    • Why is this movie called "the scariest" or "one of the scariest movies" of all time?
    • Who desecrated the statue in the church?
    • What year was the film first released for network television and what network premiered the release?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 26, 1973 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Facebook
      • Warner Brothers
    • Languages
      • English
      • Latin
      • Greek
      • French
      • German
      • Arabic
      • Kurdish
    • Also known as
      • El exorcista
    • Filming locations
      • Mosul, Iraq
    • Production companies
      • Warner Bros.
      • Hoya Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $11,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $233,005,644
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $8,175,666
      • Sep 24, 2000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $430,872,776
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 2 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono(original release)
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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