Narrative - The Exorcist (1973)

Fig 1.

The Exorcist (1973) Director - William Friedkin

Regan is a 12 year old girl living with her Mother in Washington, when she starts developing unusual symptoms she is taken to various doctors for medical help. After many physical and psychological tests are taken and all possibilities are ruled out the Mother considers exorcism. Battle ensues between two priests and the demon within Regan who is unwilling to let go of her body. Regan herself unawares of what has happened to her and taken over by evil has sunk back into the subconsciousness of her mind leaving the demon to speak for her in a manner not even acceptable to the most despicable of humans.

Fig 2.

Described as "vile and brutalizing." (Time Magazine, 1974) The films plays a game of psychological horror with any empathetic viewer that is able to endue the torture of a young innocent girl and is described as "practically impossible film to sit through, but not necessarily because it treats diabolism with the kind of dumb piety moviemakers once lavished on the stories of saints....It establishes a new low for grotesque special effects" (The New York Times, 1974) This is a film not for the faint hearted.

Fig 3.

Trailer

Bibliography

The Exorcist, Time Magazine, 1974, [Online] http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,908384,00.html [Accessed 23 January 2012]

The Exorcist, The New York Times, 1974, [Online] available at http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?_r=1&res=EE05E7DF1738E466BC4F51DFB4678388669EDE&oref=slogin [Accessed 23 January 2012]

Image Bibliography

Fig 1 . The Exorcist, DVD Cover 1973, [photography] http://content9.flixster.com/movie/28/02/280219_det.jpg

Fig 2 . The Exorcist, Movie Still, 1973, [photography] http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/19831__exorcist_l.jpg

Fig 3 . The Exorcist, Movie Still, 1973, [photography] http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQEuZhNISwoYgqowYvUjKKxOtIBOmotMzte-nTpxlHYckUMAxDHjOqpmSMS