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The Exorcist

7.7

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The Exorcist

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Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist

Original title

The Exorcist

Year

1973

Running time

121 min.

Country

United States

Director

William Friedkin

Screenwriter

William Peter Blatty. Novel: William Peter Blatty

Cast

Music

Jack Nitzsche

Cinematography

Owen Roizman

Producer

Warner Bros., Hoya Productions

Genre

Horror | Exorcism / Evil Possession. Religion. Supernatural. Cult Movie

Movie Groups

The Exorcist

Synopsis

Linda Blair plays Regan, a 12-year-old girl possessed by the devil. After exhausting all the options of science, psychology, and medicine, Regan's mother (Ellen Burstyn) realizes the supernatural nature of her daughter's condition and resorts to a religious solution, turning to Father Karras (Jason Miller) for an exorcism. Aided by the mysterious Jesuit exorcist Father Merrin (Max von Sydow), Karras must confront not only supernatural phenomena but also his own inadequate faith and displaced guilt over his mother's recent death, a personal torment Regan uses to manipulate him, but with disturbing results.

Rankings Position

Awards: 1973: 2 Academy Awards: Best Adapted Screenplay, Sound. 10 Nominations

1973: Golden Globes: Best Movie (Drama), Director, Screenplay, Sup. Actress. 7 nomin.

1973: Directors Guild of America (DGA): Nominated for Best Director

1973: Writers Guild of America (WGA): Nominated for Best Adapted Drama Screenplay

1974: BAFTA Awards: Nominated for Best Original Soundtrack

1975: 4 Saturn Awards (Best Horror Film, writer, special effects, make-up)

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Critics' reviews

"If movies are, among other things, opportunities for escapism, then The Exorcist is one of the most powerful ever made (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of four)"

Roger Ebert: Chicago Sun-Times
"Scary? As hell"

Owen Gleiberman: Entertainment Weekly
"The movie that launched a new era in horror films, and which, for one generation, remains one of the scariest experiences of their lives."

Jack Mathews: New York Daily News
"'The Exorcist' is a museum piece, something to be enjoyed for its historical value, its datedness and its almost quaint shock value"

The Washington Post
"Even after almost three decades (...) it's a thriller that really thrills, a shocker that really shocks"

Michael Wilmington: Chicago Tribune
"Is the film a provocation about the nature of good and evil, or horror claptrap? To me, it's always been both (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"

Peter Travers: Rolling Stone
"The climactic sequences assault the senses and the intellect with pure cinematic terror."

Variety Staff: Variety
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79 Movies with Awesome Special Effects (25)
82 Movies with an Incredible Soundtrack (OST) (144)

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The Exorcist

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