BBBB.5
(out of 5)
Ellen Burstyn plays a single mother and movie star whose stay in Washington while filming her latest project is interrupted by her daughter coming down with strange symptoms of psychological disturbance. WRONG! She’s possessed by a demon, and mom has to get a priest to come and exorcise it before things get worse (if that’s even possible). Most of the fearfulness of this film arises from the unknown, as it offers no easy reasons or explanations for what’s going on. The back story of Father Karras (Jason Miller), the priest who examines the little girl, adds a lot of strength to the excellent script by William Peter Blatty (based on his own novel). Linda Blair is a holy terror as the unfortunate victim, while director William Friedkin gives the film an atmosphere that is always frightening but never contrived. The sound design is revolutionary for its time, still very impressive today, and the film started off the craze for gory horror films that overtook the box office charts of the next few decades. It’s also one of the earliest films to feature such multitudinous usage of the F-word (The Godfather, a year before, being another one).
Warner Bros., Hoya Productions
USA, 1973
Directed by William Friedkin
Screenplay by William Peter Blatty, based on his novel
Cinematography by Owen Roizman
Produced by William Peter Blatty
Music by Jack Nitzsche
Production Design by Bill Malley
Costume Design by Joseph Fretwell III
Film Editing by Norman Gay, Evan A. Lottman
Academy Awards
Best Sound (Robert Knudson, Chris Newman)
Best Writing (Screenplay–based on material from another medium) (William Peter Blatty)
Nominations
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Jason Miller as “Father Damian Karras”)
Best Actress (Ellen Burstyn as “Chris MacNeil”)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Linda Blair as “Regan MacNeil”)
Best Art Direction (art direction: Bill Malley; set decoration: Jerry Wunderlich)
Best Cinematography (Owen Roizman)
Best Directing (William Friedkin)
Best Film Editing (Jordan Leondopoulos, Bud Smith, Evan Lottman, Norman Gay)
Best Picture (William Peter Blatty, producer)
Golden Globe Awards
Best Motion Picture-Drama
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Linda Blair)
Best Director (William Friedkin)
Best Screenplay (William Peter Blatty)
Nominations
Best Performance By An Actress in a Motion Picture-Drama (Ellen Burstyn)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Max von Sydow
