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THE EXORCIST - film analysis 1 of 3 by Rob Ager



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In depth analysis of subliminal themes in the classic horror film THE EXORCIST.
For more analysis of classic films visit my site at http://www.collativelearning.com/index.html the exorcist william friedkin posession subliminal regan film review analysis horror rob ager


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Well of course, no ... ( 1 month ago by misterarkadin)
Well of course, no one but the filmmakers could speak conclusively about any of this. It's just a question of what seems most accurate. For example, I do know for a fact that the bear costumed man in The Shining is a residual element from the book -- there's a whole digression about that character. Why Kubrick chose to retain it only Kubrick or Diane Johnson could say, but the most likely reason is he needed something unsettling, and found it worked for him.
Saying that because ... ( 1 month ago by robag88)
Saying that because Mercedes did the demon voice proves it's not representative of Dennings ... that's akin to me saying that it's not the devil for same reason. The "do it, you bitch" line is symbolic of abuse/rape considering the violent crucifix masturbation seconds later. She def speaks in Dennings voice when her head twists around. Sexual abuse and Dennings voice are present in the same scene - so Dennings as possible abuser isn't an unreasonable consideration.
"I suspect that has ... ( 1 month ago by robag88)
"I suspect that has more to do with human sexuality being used as a weapon by the demon".
That's an interpretation I've also considered (and not totally ruled out), but there's no more proof of that than the interpretations I've offered. Btw I def agree that Friedkin would be more likely to embed the abuse theme. He wasn't afraid of controversy at all.
This is the aspect ... ( 1 month ago by misterarkadin)
This is the aspect of film analysis that usually irritates; it assumes the liklihood that provided the analysis is correct, the filmmakers consciously chose the effect at hand. We know what the bear costumed man meant in the context of the novel, and we know Kubrick used it. It's most likely that he just found it resonant, not that he twisted it into a comment on minority-on-white fellatio. I don't doubt Kubrick would encourage anyone who wanted to read into his films, but this strikes as silly.
I didn't offer it ... ( 1 month ago by misterarkadin)
I didn't offer it as proof, but only a fact that doesn't support your thesis. The fact that you pointed out -- Regan does later speak in Dennings' voice -- alone would suggest that the "bitch" voice is not supposed to be Dennings.
But look, I don't mean to try to convince you; you have your opinion, run with it. I'm only trying to point out where you are less than persuasive. I'm perfectly willing to consider you have a point. I just think you're reaching.
If we're both ... ( 1 month ago by robag88)
If we're both honest we'll agree frustration is a strong motive - he wants Chris and can't have her, he's drunk and alone with Regan. That would count as motive in a legal inquiry.
Re: the 'pubic hair' line. We're going in circles here, but i'll repeat myself anyway. You don't know that it is just a throwback to the book or that Blatty intended it as comedy. Likewise I don't know that it's referencing abuse themes. The vid is there for your consideration.
"he wants Chris and ... ( 1 month ago by misterarkadin)
"he wants Chris and can't have her, he's drunk and alone with Regan. That would count as motive in a legal inquiry."
To that I'll only say I'm glad you're not a lawyer. And no matter what you say, "alien pubic hair" is funny and clearly meant to be so. Academics should remember to lighten up. Nice work on FMJ, by the way.
Yeah that's ... ( 1 month ago by robag88)
Yeah that's absolutely cool. It's actually good to have such an in-depth debate like this that doesn't result in me being called all kinds of nasty names. lol
Good talking to ya ... oops, we still have our debate on The Shining. I'll go over and check your responses now :)
I never thought ... ( 1 month ago by robag88)
I never thought that the bear costume guy meant anything other than the book's meaning. Then someone sent me a list of observations about cartoon themes in the film (there are dozens of caroon refs, which I won't list here), and they pointed out that Danny's pillow in the psychiatrist scene is a bear (check the dvd if you have it). That's not in the book and so it's not a fact that the bear guy is just a throwback to King's writing. It could have been a device for something else.
I don't think I ... ( 1 month ago by robag88)
I don't think I said anything in the review to that effect about the bear costume guy, although others have emailed me with similar thoughts to that. I haven't reached a conclusion on it yet as I'm still researching for the expanded review, which will include the cartoon themes.
'I'm glad you're ... ( 1 month ago by robag88)
'I'm glad you're not a lawyer.'
'And no matter what you say, "alien pubic hair" is funny and clearly meant to be so. Academics should remember to lighten up' Ahhh come on. Don't spoil our discussion by resorting to petty insults. You're smarter than that. I have another account where I post crazy funny stuff with a few friends.
But I keep it seperate from this channel as I know some ppl would use it to try and discredit the analysis vids. Can we agree to disagree and leave it at that?
Sinister and ... ( 1 month ago by tuktuktok)
Sinister and thought provoking analysis. You really peeled this film in parts and a took deep review. Vast majority of viewers couldn't have come anywhere close. Respect.
Petty insults? Au ... ( 1 month ago by misterarkadin)
Petty insults? Au contraire, I stand firmly behind my insults as fair and substantive.
Actually, if you do think that the conditions you set forth for Dennings would count as motive for child molestation, than it was no joke -- thank God you're not a lawyer. But again, I only think your case is weak, not that you should agree with me. Go with God.
Hehe. I'll take ... ( 1 month ago by robag88)
Hehe. I'll take that back ... you're not smarter than that.
I never said it would secure a conviction. In a trial those conditions would be presented as evidence of motive and opportunity. How do I know? I've worked with sex-offenders. I've read the case files and heard them talk about their crimes and convictions. I've seen their behaviour. Your insults
are presumptious and unsubstantiated ... because you keep mistakenly assuming my research and experiences :)
Interesting insight ... ( 1 month ago by director23j)
Interesting insight.
However, in my opinion, I disagree. In the beginning of the film, when Regan isn't manifested by demons, she never gives any suggestions that she was molested. What happens to Regan is a result of evil spiritual forces. The way I interpret the crucifix scene is that Regan is essentially glorifyin
g her action. When she spins her head around, she basically says "I killed him like this." Friedkin isnt the type of filmmaker to incorporate multiple meanings.
Not absolutely ... ( 1 month ago by robag88)
Not absolutely certain of it myself. regan not manifesting signs of abuse early in the film could be based on the notion that she encountered abuse later from the drunken Dennings. The "do it ... you bitch" as chris ran up the stairs sounded a lot like Dennings to me.
Actually, that ... ( 1 month ago by director23j)
Actually, that whole scene is done with Denning's voice, except what she says as she inserts the crucifix into her crotch.
Up until a couple of months ago, I always saw that scene as Regan manifesting another demon. Then my sister pointed out that her head spinning around was a way of the demon telling her mother that she killed Denning, hence, "Do you know what she did..." I will say; however, that you're theory is
very interesting. It certainly gives new meaning to the film.
While the analysis ... ( 3 weeks ago by Rayarena)
While the analysis of sexual abuse is brilliant, one wonders why neither Blatty nor Friedkin--to my knowledge-- ever discussed this as the real theme of the book/movie? Overlapping themes can be found anywhere if one looks hard enough. Would it not have been more convincing for the writer/director to have made the supernatural manifestations less obvious if this were the real theme? To me, Regan's horrific transformation leaves no doubt in my mind that it is solely about the supernatural.
Yes, the lack of ... ( 3 weeks ago by robag88)
Yes, the lack of open discussion from Friedkien / Blatty on the subject of sexual abuse themes is puzzling. At the same time many writers / directors have refused to discuss hidden meanings in their work. Kubrick, Hitchcock and Lynch typically refused to announce the meanings of their films. One explanation is that the sexual abuse themes would be too controversial and so Blatty / Friedkin just talked around them.
"Overlapping themes ... ( 3 weeks ago by robag88)
"Overlapping themes can be found anywhere if one looks hard enough." Yes and no. I've been asked many times to write a review of Donnie Darko but I simply can't find any consistent thematic logic in the film and so I've concluded it's basically a stylized feature length music video. The sexual abuse symbols are too consistent to be written off as accidental. I'm not saying the supernatural narrative isn't there. Sometimes films operate on multiple paradigms simultaneously.
"One explanation is ... ( 3 weeks ago by Rayarena)
"One explanation is...sexual abuse themes would be too controversial..." But isn't the movie's blasphemy far more controversial? As Blatty said: the crucifix masturbation scene remains the single most vile scene ever filmed. While sexual abuse themes are controversial, I remind you that Nabokov wrote about the sexual abuse of a little girl {Regan's age} in "Lolita"
Kubrick filmed it in 1962. Why would Friedkin/Blatty have had to resort to artifice if Nabokov/Kubrick didn't years earlier?
If you're religious ... ( 3 weeks ago by robag88)
If you're religious maybe you could say blasphemy is more offensive.
The presentation of abuse in Lolita is nowhere near as sadistic / visceral as The Exorcist so I don't think the comparison tells us much. Again, it's puzzling that Blatty / Friedkin never spoke of an abuse theme, it's also weird that so few reviewers ever noticed the consistency of sexual abuse r
efs, be they deliberate or accidental. Maybe that says something about audiences being able to block out the unpleasant.
I'm a bit confused ... ( 2 weeks ago by Rayarena)
I'm a bit confused and I want to clear something up, are you suggesting that the little girl's symptoms are all psychosomatic brought on by Burke Dennings's alleged sexual abuse, or do you believe that she is really demonically possessed, but was, also, the victim of some form of sexual abuse by Dennings which is now manifesting itself alongside of the supernatural?
"an american ... ( 2 weeks ago by treefrog2108)
"an american haunting" a film made a few years ago is about a 'possessed' young girl who later tunrns out to have been abused....



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