The Exorcist is, without any doubt, one of the best scary movies ever made. William Peter Blatty adapted the script from his own novel, inspired by a true story, so that William Friedkin, who had just exploded thanks to The French connection, would leave an undying legacy.
Friedkin directed The Exorcist with an Iron Hand. The director of the windy city subjected the actors to an almost torturous filming, creating a harsh environment that at times became almost unbearable. He slapped an actor, fired a gun several times to startle the cast, and had a chamber built that reached minus 40 degrees. That, among other niceties like filming real accidents and using them in the movie, like the scene in which Ellen Burstyn is thrown from her and hits the ground with an agonizing scream (the harness that held her broke). Friedkin hired a stunt double for Linda Blair for demands of the producer, who wanted to protect the girl (under the law), but he used it only in a couple of takes only. It is said that in one of the scenes in which the double plays the role of Regan is that of masturbation with the crucifix, although in reality it was Linda Blair herself who did it. This data makes it clear that the director did not want anything out of his place in the film, because he knew that he was shooting a masterpiece. Proof of this is the fact that, behind the chair bearing his name, Friedkin had a drawing of an Oscar and a question mark.
What is the reason for the success of this movie?
In my opinion, there are many. Obviously, the clearest is the revolution it brought about on a visual level. Effects that were light years away from what has been seen so far, a sound worked to recreate the slightest click or a makeup that, to this day, still does not age, made The Exorcist a boom. But there is more, the exorcist combines ambition and sobriety, with a proposal that does not renounce anything but is based on the austerity of a story in which the important thing is that it is well told.
The classic shots of the 70s and that color so characteristic of the decade, join a slow development, which takes its time to get the viewer into the film. The boasts of The Exorcist are in the figure of 'Regan' and in what he provokes, but not in a script that is mainly characterized by achieving credibility in such a delicate matter and that, without getting too close, haunts the eternal theme of the fight Between good and bad.
Linda Blair landed the role among more than 600 young people. At the casting, asked if she knew what masturbation was, she Blair replied: "Of course I do. I do it, don't you?" That was enough to convince everyone present, including William Friedkin.
Despite her young age, Blair was a superb professional, enduring shootings that arrived at 17 hours in a row and without ever complaining about anything and, as if that were not enough, she embroidered a not simple character that no previous one resembled. Ellen Burstyn was cast for the role by the director, after other names were considered (including Audrey Hepburn) and was a hit. Virtually unknown, she did a great job in what must be the greatest reflection of the suffocation to which the film is subjected. Jason Miller made his film debut in a role that took him directly and nonstop into the history of cinema.
His performance is quite good, but it is his character who magnifies each and every one of his scenes. Max von Sydow, backed by his excellent career working with Ingmar Bergman, is at a very high level in how little he appears. The figure of Lee J. Cobb brings a personality within the reach of very few.
The Exorcist is one of the best horror movies ever made, and that's indisputable. My mother, who saw her when she was little, is still terrified every time she talks about her. And 38 years have passed since then, which is no small feat. The exorcist is, perhaps, the only work of the horror genre that does not hide its letters at any time, showing what should instill fear without any hesitation. With all that said, added to its soundtrack and countless legendary scenes, a masterpiece unparalleled comes out. But, anyway, that's just my opinion, come on...