William Gerharter

Name: ______________________________________

03/13/2023
Date: _______________________________________

Film Analysis
Part 1: Information

The Exorcist 1973

Film Title: _____________________________________________________ Year Release: _________
William Friedkin Supernatural horror
Director: _____________________________________________ Genre: ________________________

Part 2: The Review

Horror films are meant to be scary, however, older horror films may not be scary and possibly
comical in today’s standards. Try to keep in mind the time period in which the film was made
as you analyze the film.

What was the environment you watched the movie in? For example: perhaps you heard the
movie was really scary so you decided to watch the movie during the day with a friend or
you watched the film a night because you wanted to enhance the horror experience? What
prompted your choices?

I watched this film by myself in my dark garage early in the morning, My friends and family do not like
horror films, so I have to watch by myself. The only time I have to do this is early in the morning when I
go to exercise.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the film in terms of horror?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ✔ 9 10

Snooze fest I need clean

underwear

Why did you rate the film as you did?

This film, despite using older practical special effects (actually, probably BECAUSE of this), is much
more realistic and effective in scaring the audience. Much of what we see and hear is believable and
tangible, making it fairly scary to ponder. The only thing working against it would be the oversaturation
from possession films that followed this one, mostly due to its popularity.
Part 3: The Breakdown

Plot: What was the movie about?

The movie is about a young girl who becomes possessed by a demon entity, and also about a
middle-aged faithless catholic priest who is called in to help her. The exorcism itself then follows

What sub-genre of horror would you classify this film? Why?

I would classify this as a supernatural horror film, as it is rightly classified already, since it centers around
a demonic entity that we cannot see or touch, but who inhabits the body of this poor young girl and uses
her to do disgusting, depraved things.

Themes and Tone: What was the central goal and/or theme of the movie? Was there any strong
impression the movie made on you?
The central goal of this movie is to frighten its audience, and I think they accomplished this feat with the
effects and techniques used. I was impressed with how well much of the effects still hold up today, in
spite of this films age (50 years). The theme is faith, and i think this movie questions much about
religion, while also clinging to it.

Which scene did you find most suspenseful? Why? What elements help build that horror/
suspense (e.g. camera angles / composition, music, lighting, symbolism, etc.)?

The most suspenseful scene for me was the final possession scene with the eventual exorcism, since
this involved the most violence and foul language from the demon. However, each scene of depravity
and ugliness from the demon helped to build this suspense and add to the overall fright that it sets out to
instill. Music, lighting, sets, props, and high-caliber acting all helped contribute to this.

Identify any cliches you noticed in the film, and how did that affect your perception of how
scary it was? Did it seem comical or cheesy?

I didn't really notice too many cliches or cheesiness. This movie took itself pretty seriously, and had a
decent budget to back it up, which made it pretty believable. This contrbuted to its sincerity and genuine
nature. Thankfully, it didn't come across as cheesy or comical in this regard.