“When I was writing the novel, I thought I was writing a supernatural detective story that was filled with suspense with theological overtones. To this day, I have zero recollection of even a moment when I was writing that I was trying to frighten anyone,” he told the newspaper.
Catholicism as hero and culprit
After initial audience screenings, attention to the film exploded around the world. The Exorcist was the earliest Hollywood release that discussed Catholicism so prominently and included it as an integral aspect of both the protagonist’s and antagonist’s actions. Friedkin claimed in a number of interviews that he had the support of many Catholic clerics and paid a priest to stay on set as a consultant for select scenes.
"The cardinal in New York preached about it from the pulpit and said great things about it," Friedkin told Entertainment Weekly in a 2012 interview. "The guy who was the head of the Jesuit order at the time, Father Pedro Arrupe, who was headquartered in Milan, he had his own print of it and would show it to his fellow priests and bishops and cardinals."Friedkin added that the church was accepting of the film “because the Roman ritual of exorcism is still in the New Testament."
While the Catholic Church likely had clergy who disapproved of the film, The New York Times confirmed in early 1974 that the U.S. Catholic Conference’s Division of Film and Broadcasting “rated the film A‐4, which means that, while moral in itself, it could confuse or offend some adult viewers.” The article also reported an uptick in requests across the nation for priests to perform exorcism.
Before the movie, details of ancient exorcism rituals had been kept mostly private within high-ranking Catholic clergy. The concept of satanic possession wasn’t one widely examined in books, TV or film at the time. The Exorcist led the way for an enduring fascination with the subject and fueled numerous cinematic explorations, like The Omen, Amityville Horror and The Conjuring, to name a few.
Yet, as Segaloff points out, The Exorcist remains unique because “how many movies have had priests as heroes?”
A new kind of horror film
In addition to its place in history for educating the public on possession and exorcism, The Exorcist was the first cinematic experience to build tension and fear without numerous jump-scares, unrealistic monsters or fantasy plots. In a new concept for horror films, the director used virtually unknown actors playing characters living a seemingly everyday life, leaving folks to wonder if satanic possession could happen to them. When mother Chris MacNeil, played by Ellen Burstyn, realized something was wrong with her 12-year-old daughter Regan, played by Oscar-nominated Hollywood newcomer Linda Blair, the audience’s suspension of disbelief was subtly constructed as they watched what any mother would do: She sought a medical explanation from doctors.
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