The Exorcist
Reviewed by: Andrew Hager
CONTRIBUTOR
| Moral Rating: | Very Offensive |
| Moviemaking Quality: |
|
| Primary Audience: | Adults |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Length: | 2 hr. 2 min. |
| Year of Release: | 1973 |
| USA Release: |
December 26, 1973 |
What are DEMONS? Answer
DEMON POSSESSION and Influence—Can Christians be demon possessed? In what ways can Satan and his demons influence believers? Answer
Who is SATAN, the enemy of God and all people? Answer
Is Satan a real person that influences our world today? Is he affecting you? Answer
Learn about SPIRITUAL DARKNESS versus spiritual LIGHT
About the fall of mankind to worldwide depravity
What is SIN AND WICKEDNESS? Is it just “bad people” that are sinners, or are YOU a sinner? Answer
Are you good enough to get to Heaven? Answer
How good is good enough? Answer
- An open letter to Roman Catholics
- Personal testimonies of former devout Roman Catholics
- Former priest, Richard Bennett
- Former nun, Mary Ann Pakiz
- Former altar boy, Stan Weber (“Falling In Love with the Biblical Jesus”)
- Is sola Scriptura a biblical or a man-made concept? (Traditions vs. Scripture alone)
- Is the Bible truly the final authority in all matters of faith and morals?
- What did the Early Church believe about sola Scriptura?
- What issues often separate Roman Catholics from God? Answer
Are all Catholics going to Heaven? Examine crucial problem areas in light of the Bible. Includes the following pages…
| Featuring |
Max von Sydow … Father Merrin Ellen Burstyn … Chris MacNeil Linda Blair … Regan Lee J. Cobb … Lt. William Kinderman Kitty Winn … Sharon Jack MacGowran … Burke Dennings Jason Miller … Father Karras See all » |
| Director |
William Friedkin |
| Producer |
Warner Bros. Hoya Productions See all » |
| Distributor |
 Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company |
Exorcism is a debatable topic, even among Christians. Some feel that it is a real, God-powered battle against demons. Others see it as myth, urban legend for Catholics. In 1973, director William Friedkin (“The French Connection”) brought to the screen an adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s novel, The Exorcist. Surprisingly, unlike many Hollywood productions, this film does not seek to disprove Christian beliefs—it supports them.
Regan (Linda Blair) is a 12-year-old child with a terrible problem. She’s been acting very strangely lately, predicting the death of her mom’s friend and urinating in public. Doctors cannot find anything medically wrong with her. In desperation, her mother turns to a priest for help. What follows is a terrifying account of an exorcism, as the priest battles the demons inside the child.
Blatty, who adapted the screenplay from his novel, based his story on a real incident which took place in Georgetown, Maryland, in 1949. The true-life basis of the film lends it an extra credibility not found in recent films like “Stigmata” or “The First Power.” According to a documentary made by the BBC, nine people died mysteriously during the film’s making. One of the producers noted that “there was a feeling that we were dealing with something we shouldn’t be dealing with.” Director Friedkin says that “I feel that you’ll get out of “The Exorcist” what you bring to it… If you want an affirmation of faith, it’s there…”
That said, this is not a film for children or the squeamish. There is profanity and the use of Christ’s name in vain. More negatively, there are numerous accounts of demonic activity, including Regan masturbating with a crucifix. While I have no doubts that a demon could do this, it remains shocking and may drown out some of the God-triumphing-over-Satan aspects which dominate the film’s core.
Personally, I advise that you think long and hard before viewing this. This is a story which may need to be told, but not to everyone.
SPOILER alert. What I think a lot of Christians MISREAD about this film is that the exoricsm FAILS. Father Karras returns into Regan’s room to find the elder priest has died of a heart attack. In a fit of despair he invites the demon to leave the girl and enter him and then either commits suicide or is driven out the window by the demon.
As if to reinforce that this ending is not happy, Friedkin has a priest try to offer confession to Karras before he dies (he fails). The implication is clear: Father Karras has gotten the demon to leave Regan, but at what cost? At best Father Karras has defeated or tricked the demon on his own; at worst, he has failed to realize that he, not Regan, was the ultimate target, and in trying to take matters into his own hands has fallen prey to the demon and been defeated.
I see no way to read this film as a victory of God over Satan… those that do focus only on Regan and the fact that she is no longer possessed at the end of the film. But I would reiterate: the demon has not left her because he was defeated, he left because he was victorious at breaking Father Karras’s spirit and getting him to invite the demon into himself.
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.
The movie’s positive side is that it exposes a lot of the devices and wiles of the devil which the Bible tells us not to be ignorant of (2 Cor 2:11). One such instance is when the demon speaks to the priest in the voice of his deceased mother to make him feel guilty for abandoning her and to put him under condemnation. However, there is no condemnation for those who believe in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1).
The negative side of some Catholic movies like “The Exorcist” and “The Omen” is that they do not end on a redemptive note. They portray evil as powerful and almost invincible. In the movie, the only way the priest can exorcise the demon from the girl is by allowing himself to be possessed! This is a fallacy as no demon can possess a saved child of God, though they can oppress them to some degree. The Lord has given Christians authority over all the power of the Enemy (Luke 10:19). We only have to use the powerful spiritual weapons he has given us (2 Corinthians 10:4).
While the Bible focuses a lot on spiritual warfare, it ends on a positive and redemptive note with the ultimate defeat of evil and the destiny of Satan in the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:10).
From a biblical perspective movies like “Ben Hur” and “The Cross and the Switchblade” are more inspiring and show the overcoming power of good over evil. Through Jesus, we are on the winning side of the great spiritual battle of the cosmos.
Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
Or was it a clever scheme to $cash$ in? The movie is the worst film ever made. Jews under the first covenant don’t even say God’s name in Fear, Respect, and awe of Him. Yet this movie shows a gore pornographic scene of a little girl masturbating to a crucifix getting utterly bloody while chanting curse sex language about having sexual relations with God Himself. I’m trying to be careful with my wording, but describing the movie is difficult without being possibly offensive, given the nature of the film. The film is not Christian. I’m actually less offended living in a homosexual district of San Diego and seeing men do stuff in the park while walking my dog than I am of this film. …
Extremely Offensive / 1
[3/4]
[4/4]
Cases of demonic possession are mentioned in the New Testament, and if you look closely, you’ll see they are parrelled as shown in the movie. Mark 5:1-13 gives an account of this, and how the evil spirit would rather enter in something else and have it die than be sent to the abyss. It’s interesting how this was incorporated into the movie. Later in Mark 9:17-29 Jesus again casts out a demon. The interesting part about this is that His disciples could not do it; only when Jesus confronted him did it leave. That explains why the priests in the movie had such a difficult time. Also, notice Father Karaes’ state of faith in the Lord, and how that affects his ability to deal with the demon.See all »
[4/5]
PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.
In the end it is not Jesus who frees this child from the possession, rather a man using human emotion and strength to openly invite a power beyond human control into him. This movie in no way had a positive effect on me, gave me no hope or reassurance in Christ, rather left me with questions and confusion. To someone not firm in their faith (I wasn’t at the time I viewed this film), it could serve as a confusion and perhaps even fear-driving tool.
Dr.Morefield’s review addressed the problem exactly where it lies, and where many overlook.
My Ratings: [Extremely Offensive / 4]