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| Ellen
Burstyn, Jason Miller, Max Von Sydow, Linda Blair, Lee J. Cobb |
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Anamorphic
widescreen |
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Dolby Digital
5.1 |
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DTS |
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Trailer(s) |
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Featurette(s) |
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Documentary |
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Audio commentary
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Deleted scenes
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Concept art
/ storyboards |
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Multi-angle
feature |
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Regan/Pazuzu:
"What an excellent day for an exorcism."
Father Karras: "You would like that?"
Regan/Pazuzu: "Intensely."
Father Karras: "But wouldn't that drive you out of Regan?"
Regan/Pazuzu: "It would bring us together."
Father Karras: "You and Regan?"
Regan/Pazuzu: "You and us."
A
little girl becomes possessed by a demonic force and an exorcism by
a Catholic priest is the only possible cure.
 The
original story by William Peter Blatty may have started out as his personal
exercise in writing straight drama based on the real-life events of
a demonic possession and subsequent exorcism, but since the release
(and re-release) of the movie it has become a cultural reference point
unto itself. The enormous influence The Exorcist has had on cinema
and horror in general cannot be overestimated, and countless attempts
have been made to dissect the building blocks of this milestone. But
although Blatty's work may have provided the basis, director William
Friedkin is clearly the one responsible for its cinematic power by using
a very intricate mix of the mundane and the supernatural. Friedkin uses
tension and relief for maximum impact: even the fact that the story
takes place in the most natural of surroundings proves to be no obstacle
in allowing evil to permeate every shot. By adhering to the principle
of less is more, he has succeeded in getting the ominous shadows and
well-placed details under your skin. Shocks come at the right moments
and effective cuts and fades keep you in your seat (and in some cases
scared out of it) for two hours easily.
The slow buildup proves less problematic with each viewing, mainly because
so many details have been put into the script and the characters get
enough screen time and terrific dialogue to develop themselves in detail.
All the actors give utterly believable performances, with Jason Miller
deserving special mention in portraying the haunted character of Father
Karras as a man in crisis about his faith and profession. The movie
works on several levels but at heart it's a story of how people confront
the reality of human suffering. You can back away from it, dismiss it
as laughable or make peace with it through faith and sacrifice as Father
Karras ultimately does. Whatever your own beliefs are, like all succesful
products of popular culture it leaves an unforgettable impression. |
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Identical
releases of the 25th Anniversary Edition featuring the original cut
of the film are available for Region 1 and Region 2 with one difference:
the BBC documentary The Fear Of God runs 20 minutes longer on
the Region 1 DVD. The main difference with the shorter version is the
dissappearance of bits featuring the presenter of the documentary and
the interview with Mercedes McCambridge.
A second DVD sub-titled The Version You've Never Seen [see separate
review] was later released for both Region 1 and Region 2, with
additional restoration work performed on the visuals and sound desing,
and containing an additional ten minutes of footage and a newly recorded
commentary from Friedkin. However, it doesn't have any of the extras
from the 25th Anniversary Edition to which this review refers.
This 25th anniversary release has
a digitally remastered image framed at 1:85:1 and is presented in anamorphic
widescreen. It's a very good transfer, with hardly any noticeable artifacts
(the NTSC version seems to suffer a bit in comparison). Grain is evident
in some shots but are part of the original movie. Having seen the movie
many times before on TV and VHS, it's almost a shock to see the fine
detail in the shadows and the subtle shadings in Regan's room when the
exorcism begins. The opening sequence in Iraq is also much improved
without any bleeding of the red and orange sky.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is effective with the special effects and
the music standing out more than before. The dialogue is clear and without
any distortion but lacks some fidelity due to its age.
The
first side of the DVD contains the movie and separate audio commentaries
by Friedkin and Blatty. Friedkin also recorded a special introduction
for the movie (which can be skipped without missing much of importance).
His commentary is insightful and he gives out lots of details about
the production and how he came to the project. He seems most proud of
some of the more intimate scenes between Regan and her mother and the
ones involving Lt. Kinderman and father Karras. Some fascinating bits
are told about the location shoot in Iraq and the casting process. Friedkin
doesn't really touch on too many technical aspects of the special effects
mainly because he feels it detracts from the overall experience if you
know too much about how it was done (see the documentary for those details
from the people involved). And it's comforting to hear he went to great
lenghts on getting the details on the exorcism correct by employing
advisers from the Catholic church on the set at all times. He also comes
across as a true supporter of the DVD format as he makes clear over
the closing credits that he feels that this is the format that will
survive everything, including the original print of the movie!
The commentary by Blatty is very different. He explains his personal
background in writing the story and how he approached the screenplay
for the movie. He was intimately involved in getting the movie onto
the screen and he pushed for William Friedkin as the director, while
the studio wanted someone else. Unfortunately his commentary stops after
50 minutes after which we get 20 minutes of hilarious voice outtakes
from Linda Blair and Mercedes McCambridge (who provided the demon voice).
All the other extras are on the other side of the DVD. The BBC documentary
The Fear Of God has interviews with all the major players from
the movie and is one of the best documentaries on a movie I've ever
seen. All aspects of the production are discussed in frank and revealing
interviews. As an addition, Friedkin and Blatty discuss their different
viewpoints on the original cut with the different ending and the additional
scenes (which can all be viewed in the documentary). Very interesting,
especially in light of the recently released restored version which
could be considered the 'Blatty version'. A short featurette shows original
sketches and storyboards and there's a generous helping of trailers
and original TV spots. The
static menus are nicely rendered with reworked images from the movie
and are easy to navigate.
Gerard Castelein
Reviewed: 2001
Click
here for IMDB info on The
Exorcist .
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