Text 4 - The Exorcist

Media Studies A2 Genre Study

HISTORIC TEXT 4 “The Exorcist” (1973) Directed by William Friedkin

What was the origin of “The Exorcist”?  The film was based on the novel

by William Peter Blatty, who also wrote the screenplay.  Blatty based his novel on a genuine case of possession in Maryland in 1949, which he read about in the Washington Post.  During the writing of the novel Blatty had guidance from a Catholic priest, who was keen to have input into a story about the struggle of good versus evil.  Blatty’s original screenplay was rejected by the director William Friedkin. The shooting script was a revised version of the novel which had been annotated by Friedkin.

Inter textuality: is “T he Exor cist” like any other genre film?  The novel was a best-seller, but religion was still seen as a very taboo subject for a genre entry.  Many major studios rejected the idea of the film outright.  William Peter Blatty wanted a non-horror director to be responsible for the picture. His choice of Friedkin effectively sold the project to Warner Brothers.  “The Exorcist” was a revolutionary genre film for it’s subject matter. It has been frequently copied since.

Iconog r aphy: the por trayal of demonic possession The victim of the possession is a young

girl; this is designed to provoke an extreme reaction due to the violation of innocence. The visual and aural representation of Regan’s character shifts from the normal to the grotesque in order to signify the hold that evil has over her. The words “devil” and “demon” are used, but there is no clear link made between the evil spirit and Satan.

T he repr esentation of women and childr en…

 The character of Chris MacNeil is shown as a strong independent woman.  Chris is in control of her own situation; she asks Father Karras for help herself.  She is single and financially independent – there is no romance in the film.  The main role of Chris is as a Mother figure. She is

 The character of Regan seems independent at the beginning, but she plays with a Ouias Board which suggests the confusion of adolescence  Regan is shown to have a keen interest in her Mother’s career.  She seems to have coped with the trauma of her possession

Analysing the syntax: key scenes fr om “T he Exorcist” Four influential sequences exist in the 1973 text “The Exorcist”. These are:

1. The opening montage with Father Merrin in Iraq. 2. The hospital examinations. 3. The attack by the possessed Regan on Chris MacNeil, including the crucifix sequence. 4. The exorcism and final denouement – Karras’ sacrifice. Watch these scenes again and deconstruct them, considering the following :

Mise-en-scene, Cinematography, Representation, Audience, Narrative, Editing, Sound, & Lighting.

Reactions to “T he Exor cist”  Initial screenings of the film were met with

hysteria; there were mass walk-outs and people feeling physically sickened by it. As a result, it was one of the biggest hits of the year.  The greatest concern was that the actress Linda Blair, who played Regan, was only 13 years old when the film was in production.  The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, but won only 2. Importantly, one was for Best Adapted Screenplay.  The film was banned on video and DVD in the United Kingdom from 1984 to 1999, until the subject matter was finally deemed to be “not as sensitive”.

Str engths & weaknesses of “T he Exorcist” 1. “The Exorcist” is a very powerful genre entry. 2. It proved that horror films could be thoughtprovoking and not just shocking.

1. The religious issues could (and did) offend many people. 2. The ending could be interpreted as ambiguous, something which both Friedkin and Blatty vehemently deny.

3. The film relies on slow build-up and characterization to make 3. “The Exorcist” goes to great lengths to show in the impact more effective. graphic detail the violation of Regan’s character. 4. “The Exorcist” is just as powerful now as it was

Pr actical Exercise: the le gacy of “T he Exor cist” In order to enhance your understanding of this text, you are going to watch the documentary on the making of “The Exorcist”. Entitled “In Search of God”, it contains key details about the film from conception to its relevance today. Working individually, you are going to watch the 50 minute programme and complete the worksheet that you will be given. The worksheet has 8 boxes which contain a heading linked to a specific section within the documentary. Your task is to fill in the sheet by listening carefully, and then writing down as much as possible in the relevant box. The boxes are intended to be in the order that they are discussed in the programme. However, there may be exceptions to this rule at some points, so be prepared!