The Film That Shocked the World
When The Exorcist first terrified audiences in 1973, nobody could have predicted it would become one of the most controversial and allegedly cursed films in cinematic history. Now, with Scarlett Johansson attached to star in a new interpretation directed by horror master Mike Flanagan, the dark legacy of this iconic horror story returns to haunt a new generation.
A Production Plagued by Misfortune
The original film's production was marred by numerous unexplained incidents and accidents that many attributed to supernatural forces. An mysterious fire destroyed large portions of the set, delaying filming by six weeks, yet curiously spared the bedroom where Linda Blair's character Regan endured her demonic possession.
Both lead actresses suffered significant injuries during filming. Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair sustained painful back injuries that were so severe their genuine screams of pain were incorporated into the final cut. Blair reportedly developed long-term spinal damage after landing on her coccyx during a particularly intense scene.
The tragedy extended beyond injuries with several cast members dying during or shortly after production. Irish actor Jack MacGowran, who played Burke Denning, died at 52 from influenza complications during post-production. Actress Vasiliki Maliaros, who portrayed Father Karras's mother, passed away from natural causes at 89. In total, nine people associated with the film died under circumstances that led to demands for the set to be formally exorcised.
Deliberate Disturbances and Psychological Warfare
Director William Friedkin employed controversial techniques to create authentic reactions from his cast. He reportedly hid rotten food around the set to recreate the foul smell of demonic presence, a tactic that ultimately made cast and crew physically ill and forced production halts.
The scenes showing Regan in bed were filmed inside a large industrial freezer to make the actors' breath visible on camera. Friedkin also incorporated disturbing industrial sounds and bee buzzing to heighten audience anxiety, along with subliminal imagery including a white face that briefly flashes during dream sequences.
Eileen Dietz, who played the demon Pazuzu, revealed in a 2020 interview that Friedkin ensured a priest blessed the set daily. She developed her terrifying performance by studying pictures of wild animals and practicing growling faces in mirrors rather than receiving traditional direction.
Public Outcry and Lasting Impact
The film's release provoked unprecedented public reaction. Cinema audiences experienced fainting, vomiting, and even heart attacks during screenings on both sides of the Atlantic. When The Exorcist debuted in Britain in February 1974, paramedics had to be stationed outside cinemas to handle overwhelmed viewers.
Two Church of England priests, Canon John Pearce-Higgins and Henry Cooper, demanded the film be banned, warning it could cause "a whole new crop of schizophrenics." Conservative activist Mary Whitehouse joined the calls for censorship, while American televangelist Billy Graham famously declared there was "evil in every frame."
Medical professionals expressed concern about "cinematic neurosis" triggered by the film, particularly criticising a graphic hospital scene where a needle is inserted into the possessed girl's neck. Remarkably, the radiographer who played the radiologist's assistant in that scene later murdered a film journalist, though he couldn't explain his motive to police.
Despite the controversy—or perhaps because of it—The Exorcist became a phenomenal box office success, earning over $441 million worldwide and becoming the first horror film nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. When adjusted for inflation, its earnings exceed $1 billion.
The film's enduring notoriety was further cemented by its basis in a true story involving a 13-year-old Maryland boy known as Roland Doe, who underwent exorcisms in the late 1940s after experimenting with a ouija board. Author William Peter Blatty adapted this story, changing the protagonist to a girl and adding now-iconic elements like head-spinning and ceiling-crawling.
As a new chapter in The Exorcist universe prepares to unfold with Scarlett Johansson, the original film's troubled history serves as a chilling reminder of why it remains the benchmark for cinematic horror nearly fifty years after its initial release.
