jack macgowran, jason miller
ellen burstyn, linda blair
max von sydow
unfashionable observations rating: A-
The Exorcist has managed to capture the imagination of generations of moviegoers because it hits upon a primorial myth that defines our spiritual past: that of evil spirits manifesting themselves in this world for inexplicable reasons. Our modern minds instinctively scoff at the very idea. But our primordial, pagan past demands our attention in this movie because, even though science has become our new God, we are yet still unsure of just how much faith this new God deserves.
We meet sweet little Regan (Linda Blair), a 12-year-old girl who is so full of health and smiles that you can't help but like her. Her mother (Ellen Burstyn) is a film actress in the midst of shooting a movie on the Georgetown University campus. They have a really close relationship with each other, in part because Regan's father has left them.
However, early in the movie, we find out that Regan has been playing with a Ouija board that is presumably inhabited by a spirit who goes by the name of Captain Howey. Soon thereafter, we see that Regan begins to exhibit rather strange behavior, including spontaneous bouts of profanity, convulsions, and alterations of personality. Things get increasingly bizarre and even dangerous as we witness the transformation of an innocent girl into a ghastly demon.
Regan's mother tries to seek out help for her daughter in the realms of science, psychology, and medicine. But none of these are availing. And this is the crux of the movie. We despair along with Regan's mother not only because of the horrifying transformation that Regan has unwittingly undergone, but because reason cannot offer a satisfying explanation. Modern men are sycophants of reason, and therefore when it is rendered inadequate, man experiences a kind of dislocation of self. The core (and pride) of the modern world is undermined in the character of Regan, and this has the chilling effect of leaving us out in the open, without a firm foundation on which to ground ourselves.
Naturally, the movie then turns to religion for an answer, and a foundation. It turns to more primordial myths and definitions of self in solving the problem of Regan's possession. Regan's mother seeks out the help of a Jesuit priest by the name of Father Karras (Jason Miller). Aided by Jesuit exorcist Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow), they both confront the evil within Regan in a cosmic battle between opposing value systems.
This movie candidly recognizes that some things are simply beyond our comprehension as human beings, and that a leap of faith is sometimes the best medicine for the ensuing frustration. I would suggest that this movie is one of the best horror movies because of the discomfort it causes in its portrayal of what amounts to a rift in modern man's paradigm of science and reason. This movie attacks our modern sense of security, and reveals the face of the everyday world to be one of uncertainty and chaos.
Indeed, there is just too much that remains inexplicable in our everyday lives. This alone should cause us great stress. However, most of us live pretty stable lives that aren't bothered with questions about the inexplicable. As Jung would have it, the reason for this is that we are still unconsciously in touch with the myths and dreams that make up our pagan past. We subconsciously explain away the inexplicable with references to gods and spirits that transcend the everyday world. Indeed, Christianity does this explicitly. This movie's continuing popularity is a testament to the fact that we have not been able to escape our primoridal selves, so full of spirituality and superstition.
And that might not be such a bad thing, for at the very least it makes us more interesting creatures.
