The statue reappears later on in the movie during a scene where the possessed regan is thrashing around on the bed and its widely assumed. It is, however, a brilliantly successful horror movie. The exorcist 1973, an indepth analysis of why it is the. Oct 28, 2011 william peter blatty in 1971 wrote the exorcist, a deeply unsettling theological thriller that later became an extremely lucrative and controversial hollywood blockbuster. It began with ingmar bergmans cries and whispers, and it closed with william friedkins the exorcist. Nguyen california state university, san marcos backgroundintroduction the film, american history x tells the story of two brothers who are involved with the neonazi movement. So then what was the inciting incident that inspired blatty to delve into. If you cant handle horror, i suggest putting the exorcist on mute, and the tv on standby. Cobb, kitty winn, jack macgowran in his final film role, jason miller, and linda blair. The exorcist by william peter blatty 1869 words bartleby. The exorcist was notable for being one of the biggest boxoffice successes and one of the first blockbusters.
Spirituality has never had a more unlikely ally than william friedkins enduring shocker the exorcist. Certainly, there are gothic conventions in the exorcist, including the monstrous body of regan once she is possessed, the ancient and hidden nature of. Its 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. But unlike the movie, the book is about much, much more than ouija boards, spinning heads and projectile vomit, blatty said in an article exactly 40 years later. One of the most notorious novels ever written, the movie. Essay about the exorcist movie analysis 1893 words. The exorcist 1973, an indepth analysis of why it is. The exorcist is an american horror film series consisting of five films based on the 1971 novel the exorcist by william peter blatty. Is this little girl possessed or just mentally ill. The movie begins in iraq, where religious faith is still strong, though its the islamic, rather than christian, faith.
The exorcist is quite possibly the scariest movie ever made. The rerelease of the exorcist, one of the biggest boxoffice successes of all time, gives us a chance to reevaluate the film on its own merits, without all the hoopla that accompanied the original release. The exorcist 1973, an indepth analysis of why it is the scariest movie ever made. The exorcist 1973 film symbols, allegory and motifs. Her ex, who is also the father of her adolescent daughter, regan, neglects to call the girl on her birthday. And im telling you that thing upstairs isnt my daughter. No rockmusic soundtracks or lookout the killerisbehindyou scares, but rather an awful sense of corruption as demonic possession takes over an adolescent girl like a loathsome progressive disease. Even writing its name down here has me squirming uncomfortably in my seat. You show me regans double, same face, same voice, everything. Certainly, there are gothic conventions in the exorcist, including the monstrous body of regan once she is possessed, the ancient and hidden nature of the menace, and the battle within an isolated. A very in depth study of the excavations opening scenes of the exorcist and how those scenes relate to the rest of the movie. Where this gets complicated is when you take the exorcist iii into consideration, but thats a discussion for another day. May 25, 2008 mental illness following the exorcist horror movie the exorcist remains one of cinemas darkest and most frightening classics.
When asked what is the scariest movie ever made, i can almost guarantee that 1973s the exorcist will come up 9 times out of 10 in most movie viewers opinions. Dec 25, 2015 the exorcist, at cinema i, may not be a great film. As used here, the explicitness amounts to not much more than a shill, a comeon. The exorcist 1973 is the sensational, shocking horror story about devil possession and the subsequent exorcism of the demonic spirits from a young, innocent girl of a divorced family.
The exorcist werd in een aantal films geparodieerd, zoals. It began with ingmar bergmans cries and whispers, and it closed with william friedkins. The exorcist 1973, an indepth analysis of why it is the scariest movie ever made by bog bit when asked what is the scariest movie ever made, i can almost guarantee that 1973s the exorcist will come up 9 times out of 10 in most movie viewers opinions. If the exorcist had been invested with any real intelligence or passion, if it had wanted to do something other than promote a few shivers, the explicitness would never have mattered. The film begins in iraq, at the site of an archaeological dig. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the exorcist by william peter blatty. Exorcisms were rarely practiced before the novel, and film brought the practice to the main stage. The heretic tried to say that regan has psychic powers and this is how and why pazuzu possessed her, but considering how bad that sequel is, lets pretend it. During the cold months of the winter of 197374, the release of a horror film called. In fact, the tag line for this movie s rerelease in 2000 reads the. Possessed by a movie makeover the classic horror novel the exorcist inspired an even creepier movie, but author mark danielewski.
The exorcist is one of the best movies to come out of the 70s and deserves better than slowly descending down the top 250. A movie actress taking up temporary residence in washington d. The exorcist, at cinema i, may not be a great film. The exorcist ending explained 7 questions we need answered. After their father is murdered by black drug dealers, the older brother, derek develops an extreme hatred for minorities and becomes a violent white supremacist. The exorcist was originally based on william peter blattys 1971 bestselling theological horror novel. The exorcist is a horror novel for people who dont read horror novels. The exorcist movie analysis free essays, term papers.
Other filmmakers have attempted to outdo friedkins work, but the horror genre almost never allows for. Paying tribute, another author described the exorcist as the great horror novel of our time. Yet each in its own way forces us to look inside, to experience horror, to confront the reality of human suffering. It is based on the 1971 novel of the same name by william peter blatty, the movie screenplay having been adapted by. Both films are about the weather of the human soul, and no two films could be more different. Parents need to know that the exorcist is a mature horror film, not aimed at or paced for kids. The script for the movie shes filming seems inadequate.
The exorcist also has that effectbut were not escaping from friedkins implications, were shrinking back from the direct emotional experience hes attacking us with. So great was its power that rumours circulated about viewers running in fear, feinting, or even going mad after seeing the film. But if the devil exists, then god must exist right. Study guide for the exorcist 1973 film the exorcist 1973 film study guide contains a biography of edward abbey, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Sep 22, 2016 william peter blattys novel the exorcist 1971, later adapted into a film by william friedkin in 1973, sparked an intense curiosity in the world of demonic possession. Oct 16, 2016 however, what makes the exorcist brilliant is how youre inescapably screwed either way. The the exorcist 1973 film community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography. The exorcist rides its supernatural theme to magical effect, with remarkable special effects and an eerie atmosphere, resulting in one of the scariest films of all. That is, of course, until its time to do a movie about demonic possession. The exorcist 1971, a classic horror novel by william peter blatty, narrates the story of a twelveyearold girl who suffers a demonic possession and the priest who must save her. The exorcist defines the horror genre essay 1482 words 6 pages. The exorcist is a 1973 american supernatural horror film directed by william friedkin and produced and written for the screen by william peter blatty, based on the 1971 novel of the same name by blatty. Oct 26, 2014 the most wellknown analysis of exorcist is it as a metaphor for the burgeoning sexuality of its main character, regan linda blair, who is both the films antagonist indirectly and the lens through which we see the rest of the characters.
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