The Exorcist

Review - I was about 15 years old when I saw The Exorcist for the first time.  It bored me so much that I retained very little of the experience (perhaps thankfully).  Now I'm almost 30 and a newly released version of the film (with 11minutes of additional footage) has offered me a second opportunity to see the film that many call the most frightening film in history.  I won't makes jokes about my favorite scary movie but I will tell you that I found The Exorcist to be far more disturbing than I did frightening.

"Disturbing?  Of course you found it disturbing.  It's a vile, inhumane, and blasphemous film."

In response I'd say, "Vile and wretched would be words I'd use to describe moments of the film but 'inhumane' & 'blasphemous?...I don't think so."  The explicable moments that viewers have discussed for years are definitely not tame.  In fact they stretch some boundaries, mostly those of taste, but that's where I imagine the Devil's power lies.  Somewhere in his ability to break you of your faith.  The quickest way to anyone's heart is through the chest and the Devil's comments or actions are appropriately sharp and cut to the bone.  This should be no surprise.

If The Exorcist did anything for me (outside of entertaining me for just over 2 hours) it showed me the challenge of faith.  In three different scenes I was shown images of faith pitted against a (apparently) greater evil.  I won't turn this review into a term paper, but I want it to be known that although I walked away from The Exorcist a little nauseated, I also walked away mindful of my own pride and faith in God.

Hang on Saint Christopher.

-m-