CaptainHowdy.com The #1 Exorcist Fansite Since 1999
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OTOH – what if it’s just a troll masquerading as a Righteous One – just to watch the commotion caused by the post…
The poster claims an exclusivity which is extremely paranoid. The Exorcist, far from blaspheming, is a prayer of invocation – “Let my cry come unto Thee.”
The poster seems to think that _her_ faith is authentic but that of religious Exorcist characters – and readers and viewers – is deficient. Talk about displaying one’s ego on a billboard.
Yes, it is possible to demystify Blatty’s story by viewing it through a rationalistic-reductionistic lens. However, this defeats his authorial purpose.
Blatty’s Regan does not “descend into adult insanity… and lewdness.” Nor is she insane or profane. Rather, it is _the invading spirit_ acting through her that is the locus of evil. And this particular evil is specifically spiritual and supernatural, transcending such mundane categories as insanity or lewdness.
Nor does Blatty’s (or Friedkin’s) Karras teeter on the edge of insanity. He enters a state of possession, not mental illness. The novel heavily implies this, and the film is crystal-clear in its presentation of the possessed Karras in demonic make-up.
If you are comfortable with a strictly non-supernaturalist view of the story, that’s fine, but such a perspective by definition tends to exsanguinate Blatty’s narrative.
While you may be convinced that human evil is solely ascribable to human depravity (a view I happen to share), I frankly can’t see how projecting that view onto the novel and/or its film adaptation – can do anything but eviscerate it. The whole point and dramatic thrust of the novel and the film is to strongly suggest and imply a kind of evil that is trans-human – and thus not derivative of normative neuro-and-psychological states. This is why both novel and film exhibit state-of-the-art science’s bafflement and ultimate failure to treat Regan’s case.
The book and film depend on a suspension of consensus beliefs in order to create suspense, dramatic drive, motivation, crisis, climax, and resolution. If the sense of supernatural intrusion is missing, the story becomes rather pointless. In that case, Blatty could just as well have written a leadenly monotonous tale of a kid who goes nuts and attacks some people – or better yet, not written at all.
I am ambivalent per your charge of Blatty’s “evangelism.” Certainly H.P. Lovecraft’s biographer J.T. Joshi agrees with you in his article “The Persistence of the Supernatural.” Of course as an evangelizing atheist himself, Joshi has his own axe to grind, but his point is worthy of consideration that The Exorcist can be seen as a missionizing attempt by Blatty. The reader of The Exorcist is invited, if not virtually forced, to embrace a spiritual, better yet, a Christian, and better yet, a Roman Catholic perspective.
Of course, the presentation of a supernatural incursion into profane life per se is not “evangelical” at all – as atheist H.P. Lovecraft’s own writings attest. The intent of supernatural horror, according to Lovecraft, is the achieving of an effect. But as I said earlier, I can’t conceive how the effect can be achieved if we won’t permit the suspension of disbelief which is the required sine qua non for the effect to work efficiently.
That is a good point you make – Blatty gives us the internal dialogues of most of the characters _except_ Regan. Your endeavor to express her inner life is a worthy one.
The author of The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel and of numerous studies of spirit possession and “shamanic brain states.”
Yes, it sounds from your description that Friedkin has some other (bad) company vis a vis director commentaries…!
Nice question… I’m not aware of her doing a commentary – only random interviews. Be wonderful if her voice could be added to a DVD as commentary.
I don’t know how “rare” it is, but is certainly a shot or a still that sticks out… this particular grimace, I mean.
Been a while since I read the book – certainly as you say Chris could figure it out that Dennings had been in the room and left the “stripped” book there. But did Blatty mention another possibility, namely, that Dennings read/shredded the book downstairs and later Regan came down, collected the book, and took it upstairs with her? Trivial point, and as I say, I don’t recall if it’s a possibility or not…
Hollywood is defunct. It’s been said that not a single bad Hollywood film was made roughly between 1935-1945. Now, on the contrary, Hollywood cannot produce any good films. They trashed the remake of The Wicker Man and The Village of the Damned – surely The Exorcist would suffer in the same way.
I can see it now, The Exorcist directed by some born-yesterday kid, chock full of sfx and “current events” issues. MARVEL at the VERY REALISTIC impact of the demon-bearing METEORITE in the Northern Iraq desert! SEE the possessed girl LEVITATE without those cheesy piano wires used in Friedkin’s fold, fucked-up version! SEE depraved MOLESTER and ALCOHOLIC Dennings get his just deserts by WITCHCRAFT neck-breaking – SEE and HEAR his tumble down the steps – not the real Hitchcock steps, but a completely CGI generated mockup! SEE the CGI projectile vomit – no pea soup need apply! GAG at the explicit INSERTION of the MASTURBATORY CRUCIFIX into an adolescent VAGINA! THEN experience the CONTROVERSY over the CGI VULVA – HEAR the director defend its use: “After all, that wasn’t a REAL set of LABIA! – no twelve year old was actually MOLESTED!” THRILL to the buff, body-building, martial arts expert Lt. William Kinderman as he BRUISES. BREAKS, and GUNS DOWN fleeing suspects and assorted evildoers so that audiences realize that he is a REAL COP with anger management issues and a ‘way VIRILE ATTITUDE! GIGGLE over Father Kevin Dyer staying in Damien Karras’ room OVERNIGHT – did he offer the despairing Jesuit MORE THAN MERE FRIENDSHIP?? PONDER the use of Middle Eastern HASHISH by the saintly Fr. Lankester Merrin – did he hallucinate Pazuzu’s presence in Iraq? GASP when you discover that single mom Chris MacNeil bore her daughter through ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION! BLUSH at the discovery of multiple crucifixes and K-Y Jelly in Regan’s dresser drawer (WHO molested WHO?)!! … then WITNESS the film’s stars and producers as they appear on talk shows touting the excellence of their version of The Exorcist over that sloppy 1970s film, and HEAR multitudes of newborns who never saw the original telling the world how outstanding the new version is! Finally, go out and BUY the soundtrack which features the meticulous contributions of pop music groups and the use of very SCARY electronic effects!
As long as Hollywood continues to spew out garbage, there is no good reason to think that an Exorcist remake would be anything but “offal.”
