What may initially seem to be simplistic narrative on the surface is seemingly brought into question upon a closer inspection. The Exorcist is still a widely debated film regarding the depth of its themes, the symbols employed within, and theories it has inspired. More importantly, in the sea of diluted and quite creatively uninspired horror genre today, it seems that the films that pay homage to The Exorcist miss that which made Friedkin’s cinematic effort such a poignant piece of horror in the first place.
Friedkin’s film unfolds in a gradually intensifying manner, as the audience witnesses the demonic possession of 12-year-old Regan MacNeil, showcasing the physical and mental degradation of MacNeil over the film’s two-hour runtime. Regan herself is more akin to that of a plot device within Freidkin’s picture, as her corrupted innocence takes the form of a narrative vessel purposed to unearth the inner struggles of those around her, specifically Father Karras, the protagonist of the narrative.
What Friedkin was able to accomplish with The Exorcist was asserting a cohesive harmony between horror and the wider story at play, directing a picture which inspires terror into the audience, posing essential questions on the intersection of faith and science as well as how these concepts align with doubt and guilt.
The demonic possession of Regan is one that is supernatural and does not fit within the established laws of the world Friedkin created, one that is based within canonical reality. Regan’s case can thus be viewed as a case of the unknown; something not of this realm of existence that not even science can find an answer for. No doctor or scientist can suitably diagnose the gradually deteriorating Regan and so, this most peculiar case prompts the atheistic characters within the film to confront their lack of faith and pursue the process of exorcism as a final hope.
Friedkin’s ambivalence towards the dichotomy of faith and science may be a directorial technique of inviting the audience to establish their own perspective
Father Karras, the protagonist, is a representation of where these interconnected concepts of faith and science collide, for he is not only an ordained priest, but a trained psychiatrist pushed into the profession by the church itself in their attempts to modernize. Karras’ complexity is cemented by Friedkin through his crisis of faith which he grapples with throughout the film’s entirety.
Firstly, Karras struggles over the death of his mother, feeling irrevocable guilt for being unable to help which then compounds into his inability to discern the true nature of Regan’s affliction, exhausting all scientific or psychological conclusions first. He therefore acts as a thematic counterweight to the supernatural horrors unfolding within the MacNeil residence and must undergo a spiritual journey to successfully exorcise Regan’s demon, reclaiming his faith through sacrifice to overcome evil and preserve innocence.
Friedkin doesn’t encourage the rejection of science, but instead opts to suggest that one must confront the possibility of faith and its necessity, even if one does not ascribe to religious doctrine itself. Moreover, Friedkin’s ambivalence towards the dichotomy of faith and science may be a directorial technique of inviting the audience to establish their own perspective of how these evidently contrary ideas coexist in addition to how one can embrace both despite their opposing trajectories. Consequently, The Exorcist, while a film based around Catholic doctrine and religious iconography, is entirely interpretable to the audience no matter the extent of their beliefs, perhaps giving reason to its timeless quality fifty years after its release.
In a genre muddied and tainted by questionable outputs, ‘The Exorcist’ still retains its elevated status within cinema as a seminal work of not just the wider horror genre but a classic story documenting the breakdown of normality into the dark unknown and the subsequent battle between good and evil. This is only enriched by the innerworkings of Friedkin’s visualization of the complex relationship between science and religion, faith and the factual, cowardice and sacrifice.