The Red Circle

By Tom Nix

I’m not one to believe in an Omen / Exorcist debate. Both films can be enjoyed on their own merits, and they approach a similar subject from totally differing points of view. Demonic kids have been a staple in cinema for a while, but the thing that William Friedkin accomplished in this film that sets it apart is that there is a genuine concern for the girl being possessed.

And in this way, it is less a film about the Devil as it is about a family falling apart from uncontrollable circumstances. It’s about the sacrifices a mother will got through for her daughter. It’s about the difficulty of having faith in the face of a demon. Across the board, the film is flawless. The performances by Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair are career defining and the priests played by Max Von Sydow and Jason Miller have become part of pop culture.

Not to say that the whole film hasn’t. The head spin and the pea soup have been used and abused since their introduction here. It’s a film of unequaled power and influence. The film’s scares are undoubtedly visceral. There is not a lot of suggestion in the execution of The Exorcist. All of the worst parts of the film are there right on the screen. We get to see the most blasphemous use of a crucifix in bloody detail. We get to see a spinal tap in uncomfortable closeups. We get to see all of the pus and blood oozing out of a nine year old girl’s body. The brilliance is that none of this feels exploitative. It’s all part of servicing the story and scaring the hell out of every audience that sits before it.

And what a story. From a family drama, to a detective story, to a crisis of faith, to a balls to the wall horror flick all in two hours. One of the most impressive parts of the film is its ability to tell that incredibly dense story through its characters. There is almost zero exposition in the film, and all of the plot points and events unfold as naturally as possible. Combine that with the subliminal image embedded editing, and career best work from William Friedkin,* and The Exorcist is a film that never loses impact, no matter how many times you’ve seen it, and no many how many years have passed.

*I am convinced that his lack of success in later years is due to increased human rights. During the making of The Exorcist, he slapped a man to tears, pulled a gun on another, and nearly broke his lead actresses back.

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