Released in 1973, ‘The Exorcist‘ possibly was not expected to become such a big hit. Despite being involved in controversies for the graphic content, the film managed to collect $441 million at the box office.
‘The Exorcist’ has been ranked as one of the best horror movies ever made by different publications. There are multiple reasons behind the same. It featured Linda Blair playing the role of Regan MacNeil who is possessed by a demon and her mother tries to get the best help to save her daughter.
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The Blending Of Dark, Emotional Themes And The Scary Demon
The main theme of ‘The Exorcist’ was to take the audiences on a journey where they would get to witness an evil that has existed since ancient times. This is the one thing that pulled a lot of people to the theatres despite reports of audiences fainting and vomiting in certain scenes.
All those who were not born in 1973 and have watched the film in the last 10 years have reported that they feel scared because the director did not focus more on jump scares. The atmosphere features a terror that feasts on human fears in different forms.
The film also uses elements of emotion including the moments where we see Karass’ mother being ignored inside the medical facility. There is also Regan’s mother who is disturbed by everything her daughter has been going through ever since she was possessed. The movie also uses piano sounds instead of usual music and they perfectly suit the mood of a particular scene.
The lead character gets possessed by a demon called Pazuzu and Father Merrin discovers his statue at the beginning of the film at an archaeological site in Iraq. The demon made his first appearance after the first 45 minutes of the film and had a white face. It also appeared in an extended cut of the film where Regan was undergoing a medical examination. Although the demon appears for a few seconds, his single glimpse is enough to make anyone feel scared.
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‘The Exorcist’ Is Inspired By Real Life Events
The basic storyline of ‘The Exorcist’ is inspired by a real-life incident when a 12-year-old child was supposedly possessed by a demon. The child’s name was not revealed to the public and was instead given the name Ronald Doe.
While filming was in process, the cast and crew had to experience some strange events including a fire that destroyed the entire set. Actress Ellen Burstyn, who portrayed Regan’s mother Chris suffered a permanent spine injury resulting from a malfunctioned harness.
Apart from all these, nine cast and crew members died suddenly during the film’s production and after the release of the film. We can somewhere say that supernatural forces had an impact on the film considering the way it was shot and all those who have seen it will agree that most of the frames were looking realistic.
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