The Exorcist (1973) Dir: William Friedkin
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I was fortunate enough to watch William Friedkin's 'Director's Cut' at my local independent cinema. The film is, of course, a classic, and one of the most renowned horrors of all-time, which gave me plenty high expectations going into it.
The opening of the film was a little slow, and maybe a bit longwinded, but once the film got into the main plot, things got very intriguing very quickly. I loved the slow, methodical pacing - it allowed the story to really build and develop nicely.
The film's reputation as one of the scariest film's ever was earned through its cleverly built suspense, intensely dramatic climax and freaky physical effects, which, by the way, still hold up well 40 years later.
For a film about an exorcism, it feels incredibly real, which only adds to the terror and effectiveness of the story. I can't stress enough, how genius the film's slow build was - it was so mesmerising and disturbing.
Furthermore, I was surprised by how nuanced and emotional the story was. It even tackled mental health decades before it was really at the forefront of cinema and pop culture. I was also thoroughly impressed by the masterful manipulation of sound throughout the film. The juxtaposition of noise and silence is exemplary.
Ellen Burstyn's escalation into hysteria was quite frankly amazing. The way her performance grew with the story was so satisfying, and she felt so believable as a character.
Linda Blair showed the two distinctly different sides of her role excellently. She got better and better as the film progressed, and was a huge reason why the horror was so effective.
Jason Miller had a lot more depth than I expected him to, and ultimately proved to be a very interesting character. I thought he showed the disillusionment of his character in a very compelling manner.
Max Von Sydal was phenomenal in his iconic supporting role. He had a presence to him that made every scene he was in feel vital. I also think Lee J. Cobb and Kitty Winn provided decent performances, despite having relatively small roles.
Overall, this has to be one of the best horror films I've ever seen. It was atmospheric, harrowing and undeniably incredible. The direction from Friedkin is truly masterful, and his patience and vision paid off beautifully.
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