Film: The Exorcist
Year: 1973
Director: William Friedkin
Synopsis: After separating from her husband, an actress, Chris McNeil, relocates to Washington, D.C where she begins to notice her young daughter’s odd behaviour and appearance. Chris has always had a good relationship with her daughter, Regan, so it surprises her as Regan begins to exhibit changes that includes speaking in foreign tongues, expressing vulgar profanities, and losing control of her body. Regan is then subject to various medical examinations including neurological tests but doctors are unable to explain why Regan has been acting so strange. After numerous attempts and Regan gradually getting worse, Chris turns to the Roman Catholic Church. She finds Father Karras, a priest and psychiatrist, and asks him to perform an exorcism on Regan. While Father Karras is hesitant at first, the church eventually agrees and further sends Father Merrin to aid, as he has previously performed an exorcism and has had experience with facing the devil.
Rationale: The fact that I truly enjoy horror films seems to be a well-established fact in our class. I love the horror genre because it is psychologically exciting. It requires audiences to be active throughout the entire duration of the film, wondering and hypothesizing when the next jump-scare will occur or which character will suffer an impending doom. I chose The Exorcist because it is a horror film that is most memorable to me. Having watched it for the first time when I was at the tender age of 6, this film has terrified me in ways that others were not able to. With lighting, sound, and angles to be a few of the most crucial cinematic elements to any horror film, I believe that The Exorcist exemplifies these characteristics in a raw and effective manner.
*I apologize in advance for choosing a horror film to those of you who may not enjoy this particular genre as much as I do (sorry, Claire), but this one is pretty old and the effects and makeup are pretty dated so I think it is less effective in terms of its FX to present-day audiences. 🙂