Film #11 — 2/4 Films Based on Novels
By C. Ramsay
An interrogation of the idea of God’s abandonment of us, of why good people are exposed to bad things—in this case a 12-year-old girl experiencing demonic possession—and of who is willing to provide support to strangers in need at great personal cost. Opening with a classic archaeological attachment to mysticism representing a fear of the unknown and a channel to ancient, innate evil, the Exorcist is full of flare yet lacking in foundation.
In his first credited role, Jason Miller gives a fantastic performance as Father Karras, an altruistic priest working primarily as a psychiatric counselor who’s undergoing his own crisis of faith in the wake of his mother’s declining health. Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair also give solid, and noticeably physically challenging, performances as actor Chris MacNeil and her preteen soon-to-be-demonically-possessed daughter, Regan.
By centering the plight of a parent panicked over the condition of their child, a condition progressively worsening on the same timeline in which possible answers have been repeatedly ruled out, the existentialism that festers in the illogicality of the unknown is underscored. It’s distressing to witness the difficulties Chris undergoes in how best to performatively advocate for herself and on behalf of her daughter to be taken seriously and receive the correct kind of help, but the framing of these difficulties is in this case a long buildup of interconnecting vignettes that smash together only to stagnate in their development. The transitions between chapters are linked more through the rapidity of their sequential cuts than through narrative fluidity and, as a result, the film regrettably feels more fulfilling to discuss while thinking back on than to rewatch.
Star rating (/5): ★★★
Recommend?: Yes