The Exorcist is a 1973 horror film, directed by William Friedkin. A potent adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s novel, The Exorcist tells the story of a young girl who is possessed by a demon. The film caused a great deal of controversy when it was released as many people felt that the violence, blasphemy and young protagonist were inappropriate and damaging for audiences and for society. Admittedly, the film does not have the same shock value today as it did in 1973, partly because the cinematography and special affects now look dated and unrealistic, and partly because many disturbing films have been released over the last four decades. However, The Exorcist remains an iconic film with arguably one of the best portrayals of demon possession. The film is inappropriate for children, of course, but it is not aimed at children. Perhaps the largest worry is for the mental health of the young actress who plays Regan. Nonetheless, to censor this film would be unjust and would stifle artistic expression. The Exorcist contains disturbing physical violence and psychological implications, but rather than allowing censorship, each adult should make an informed choice about whether or not to watch it.
That The Exorcist wasn’t particularly censored is testament to the time in which it was released. The “post classical” era of American cinema occurred between 1946 and 1962; during this time, censorship was challenged and in many cases revoked (Boland 1). However, it was later on, in the “modernist” era, that censorship really began to fall away. The Exorcist is a strong example of America’s dramatic increase in cinematic portrayals of sex and violence. The film addresses the supernatural and the surreal but it also includes shocking, often repulsive realism, such as masturbation, death, and violent behavior. On one level, this film is automatically disturbing as the protagonist is Regan, a twelve-year-old girl, who is being killed by the devil. Audience members are likely to relate this and imagine how awful it would be for them to lose a loved one in this way, whether to the devil or to a horrible illness. The film’s violence is overpowering and some audience members were disturbed. According to the British Board of Film Classification, by the time the film was submitted to them in 1974, it had: “already courted controversy in the US where it had supposedly provoked fainting, vomiting and heart attacks in cinemas” (BBFC 1).
When the film was released in the US, many religious groups tried to have the film banned. It is easy to see why, as The Exorcist contains high-level violence and blasphemy. Perhaps one of the most disturbing moments features Regan using a crucifix to masturbate, making herself bleed. This cocktail of self-harm, violence and sexuality is truly shocking to most people. Furthermore, the inferences of masturbating with a crucifix are blasphemous, which adds another awful dimension for some viewers. In addition to the physical violence, the obscene language upset some religious groups. There are many instances in the film where the twelve-year-old swears, referencing Jesus and the bible. Some examples of such lines are” “Your mother sucks c**ks in Hell, Karras!” and “Let Jesus f**k you!” (Friedkin). It was very unusual for “classical” and “post-classical” films to use swear words as the Legion of Decency may rebuke the film, and it would not receive its production seal. An example of the Legion of Decency’s strictness if that it criticized Guys and Dolls for including the expression, “What the hell?” and a scene in which characters were inebriated (Boland 1). Usually, when this happened, the filmmakers would edit out the offending section and then resubmit the film for its seal. However, the “modernist” era saw the collapse of censorship, so suddenly films could get away with a great deal more. Nonetheless, religious groups and individuals were, understandably, very upset by the release of The Exorcist.
The movie is controversial in terms of child protection. In the UK, after the Protection of Children Act (1978) barring “advertisement of indecent images of children under 16 years of age” (BBFC) the movie was reexamined because of the crucifix masturbation scene. As discussed above, Regan brutally stabs her vagina with a cross. Following this, Regan forces her mother’s face into her groin, and shouts “lick me, lick me” (Friedkin). After consideration, the film was limited to late-night viewings at cinemas. This seems an interesting reaction to the problem. Showing a film late at night does not particularly change the audience, as it was already X rated, and the “indecent images of children” were still included in the film. Nevertheless, there was much discussion about the child protection elements of this scene but eventually it was decided that the film makers had ensured that no part of her was actually exposed to the audience, so therefore it was not in violation of the policy. Perhaps more worrying for some, is that the actress was only fourteen when she played the role of Regan, meaning that she was very much a child when she acted the masturbation scene, and shouted all the profanities. It could be argued that the actress’ mental health and stability was in danger by taking part in The Exorcist. However, once the film was made, it was obviously too late for anything to be done to reverse her involvement in it.
Also linked to child protection is the concern that as the film’s protagonist was a twelve-year-old girl, the film may appeal to younger viewers. Clearly, The Exorcist is not suitable for children. Aside from the scenes already mentioned, there are numerous other disturbing moments, for example when Regan’s head turns 180 degrees to face backwards, making a loud cracking noise. In another scene, Regan vomits all over Karras. Another frightening scene is known as the “spider-walk scene” in which Regan, bent over backwards, walks on all fours down the stairs, and then spits out blood. However, despite these scary and disturbing scenes that are unsuitable for children, the psychological side of the film is arguably more damaging for children. The film implies that anyone, even a kind, friendly child, could be possessed by the devil and embark on such awful acts. Particularly for children who have been brought up in religious households, they are likely to believe that the events of the film could actually happen in real life, either to them or to someone they know. It is unlikely that children could enter a cinema and see the film, as the rating was so strict, but as the film was released on VHS, it is entirely possible that children could come to watch it, and this is why the UK banned the video for 11 years. However, it had already been in open circulation by seven years at this point. While it is possible that The Exorcist could lead to severe emotional problems in children, this potential issue relates to all films, horror and otherwise. Some children will find ways to watch films that are grossly inappropriate for them. It is the choice of parents to decide which films they keep in the house and allow their children to access.
The Exorcist depicts alarming physical violence and psychological implications, but rather than issuing censorship, it should be left to individual people to decide whether or not to watch it. While missing some of the obvious shock factor as it had when released, it is still a groundbreaking film worth exploring for any film buff. Since its release, other demonic films have been made and released, but none stand out quite like The Exorcist in terms of cinematic mastery and innovation.
Works Cited
BBFC. “The Exorcist.” 2017. Web. 1 Feb. 2017.
BBFC. “The Criminal Law.” 2017. Web. 1 Feb. 2017.
Boland, William. “The Breakdown of Censorship in American Cinema.” Inquiries Journal. 2010. Web. 1 Feb. 2017.
Freidman, William. The Exorcist. Warner Bros. 1973. Film.
