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.
(more…)