THE EXORCIST beggar scene - Pazuzu appears (film analysis Rob Ager)
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- čas přidán 19. 05. 2024
- The Pazuzu demon appears to Father Karras as a mocking beggar. From Rob Ager's full video Greatest Screen Villains - Pazuzu in The Exorcist. Full vid available at ... www.collativelearning.com
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Imagine how clumsy this would have been handled by a lesser director?
100%
My interpretation is that Pazuzu is taunting Karras with the implication that the beggar has since died and so he's also "in here, with us" like his poor mother. He was asking for some help but Damien turns his back on him, just like in his mind he did with his mom. The implication is that he's also somewhat responsable for the beggar's death, amplifying his sense of hopelessness and despair.
That's a good take. Interesting.
This was my interpretation too, it's interesting to see the take in this video because I hadn't even considered the beggar could've meant anything except that.
I’m with you
That was my interpretation as well. I never believed the beggar was Pazuzu in the train station scene.
@@HowserMaeveIt's because that is the correct interpretation. This is the first and last "analysis" I will watch by this "film scholar."
It always boggled my mind how much in denial Karras was. The homeless man in the subway, "Can you help an old altar boy?" Then when Karras first meets Regan, she blurts out in the same homeless man's voice, "Can you help an old altar boy". But Karras keeps up with "all she needs is therapy".
This is one of those masterpieces that i must watch at least once every year. Another excellent Friedkin movie is "To Live and Die in LA", very underrated.
Among the best of the over the top cop action movies of the 80s, bit too silly for my taste but that soundtrack slaps.
@@kingofwingo It's true that the film has the "over the top" ethos of the '80s, however I believe that it's much more serious and profound if compared with the true silliness of movies like "Cobra" or "Commando". Also William Petersen is amazing and he's much more credible in that role compared to Stallone or Schwarzenegger. And Willem Dafoe with that face...just incredible!
The best car chase of all time.
A friend of mine and I absolutely love "To Live & Die in LA." Awesome movie. Endless lines to quote. They go on and on.
@@MegaMkmiller Yes, my favorite quote when John Turturro says, " The check is in the mail, I love you and I promise no to c#m in your mouth".
Rob, have you ever thought about doing an analysis of Jacob's Ladder?
Yeah, but I thought the film revealed itself so clearly at the end it doesn't require analysis. Maybe I need to rewatch.
Your analysis of Pazuzu is one of the best there is. Genius!
I think the tramp is not Pazuzu at all. I believe the tramp is one more ugly earthly symbol of a Godless world Karras is forced to confront due to his loss of faith - which horrifies him. Pazuzu knows of Karras’ deepest fears and weaknesses and uses this poignant moment to taunt him.
Exactly!
Pazuzu uses these doubts and fears in Damien's mind against him, his wavering faith, etc. I think the beggar is in fact, real (novel and film), otherwise. Pazuzu was somehow
aware of Karras earlier in the course of events, as witness his nightmare, etc. The Devil will know one's weakest points and worst fears, of course.
Agreed
One of the best and logical analysis channels on youtube, been fan for a long time, great videos man!
I just took it as a bum. The devil simply mimicks the people that the priest feels like he failed.
Why would he feel like he failed the bum
note that Karras enters the scene ascending stairs from a lower level of the subway complex. Later in a dream he sees his mother descending stairs into a subway station
I don't think the beggar is an apparition, but a real beggar. The scene's surrealism is heightened, but I think that goes to Karras' mental state rather than any overt action by the demon. So in a sense Pazuzu is "cinematically" implied but the film isn't burdening the audience with a formal introduction. Notably, Karras is so frightened and disgusted by him he doesn't even respond, much less give him a few coins. Not a great display of Catholic charity, speaking to how lost he is in his faith
I think the parallels between the begar and Pazuzu are too specific. Pazuzu repeats the same dialogue later. And that flashing face in the dark at the end of the scene is VERY similar to the flashes of Pazuzu's face elsewhere ... and, as you said, Karras sees his mother descending into a subway in a dream (intercut with Pazuzu's face I'll add). Pazuzu also pretends to be Karras' mother at the end of the film, so I think that was Pazuzu in his dream too. He hadn't even met the MacNeil family at that point.
You beat me to it with the steps motif … although your added notes are very well thought out and observed! Love it!
Who mentioned Pazuzu? Not Blatty, the author, or Friedkin, the director.
There is a school of thought that the possessing demon is Lamashtu, a female demon who craved the possession of children and enjoyed menacing pregnant women. The unnamed entity in The Exorcist who many people believe is the possessing demon Pazuzu has been put forward as being an ally in the exorcism of the demon from Regan, as evidenced by the ‘evil against evil’ quote after finding the amulet of Pazuzu at the archaeological site at the beginning of the novel…’The amulet’s owner had worn it as a shield. “Evil against evil,” breathed the curator.’
Anyway, the thought of a demon assisting against a demon in an exorcism takes some batshit levels of thinking. Well done, Blatty.
Great theory as I've read that Pazuzu was invoked in the protection from other demons. This really got me thinking.
🤯 woah! Thanks for sharing
Lamashtu is the demon in Exorcist Believer, she & Pazuzu were once either married or partners in some way as she was often known as his bride, and yes people would have little figures of his head (like the one found at the dig in Iraq in the beginning scenes) to ward off lamashtu, as pazuzu inprisioned her in a part of Hell, so no love lost between them.
I've seen this movie over a hundred times, and never seen or thought this scene to be analysed in this way. Never occured to me that the beggar could be a apparition of Pazzuzu.
That's because it wasn't.
@@drgiggles7244 clearly didn't watch or misunderstood what the creator was trying to convey
Great video again. I'll just add my own sketchy comments, and unfounded reflections. Feel free to dismiss and correct, I haven't read the novel yet and I haven't seen the film in a while...
I think pazuzu's main objective is to attract and imprison the purest souls in hell.
I always thought karras was the ultimate prize that pazuzu was after from the beginning, not an additional prize after merrin. It was karris referred to in the exorcist 3 as the most beautiful, loving priest or words to that effect. This turned out to be true with his martyrdom in Ex1.
Demon: It would bring us together.
Father Karras: You and Regan?
Demon: You and us.
On a seperate note, bearing in mind that pazuzu had the power to seemingly read minds and press buttons in order to attack his enemies, I think it was quite revealing that he (Pazuzu) as the possessed Regan told Merrin to 'stick it up her a**'. Could the implication here be that merrin was secretly a pederast? It wouldn't be beyond the realms of possibility for the priesthood, sadly. This sort of leads back to merrin not being the main scalp for pazuzu. Despite being a top notch exorcist, it's quite possible that he had an impure soul. I think both Merrin and Regan were simply a way of getting to Karras, a way of breaking down karras' resolve to get him to react emotionally and to submit voluntarily to being taken, at the moment when his faith was at its strongest. Something Merrin would never have done because of his own sense of self preservation. In the end, merrin chose to die rather than sacrifice his immortal soul for regan. As in the devil's advocate, free will is the sine qua non and the arrogance (pride) of the icon (Christ/Antichrist) is his downfall.
Karras is being watched. We're all being watched the whole movie. Masterpiece.
I've always suspected this. I'm glad I'm not the only one that noticed this. Evil is always taking cheap shots and rabbit punches to the Good.
Is it.
@@_CaptainHowdy_ It is what It is.
brilliant casting, that beggar looks creepy as hell. This scene really scare me back when I first saw it as a teenager.
His name was Vincent Russell. He wasn't an actor, they hired him after he was found in a bar. The man was a severe alcoholic. Months later they need him to return to the studio to re-record his line (I don't know why they needed this). He had no memory of being filmed. When he entered the studio's soundstage his scene was played on a loop. For awhile they couldn't get him to say the line because he didn't understand anything that was going on and for a while he was convinced he had fallen into an alternate dimension.
@@joshuah9109 wow, that’s actually insane!
Nicely examined Rob, I remember our discourse when we used to work together. Excellent analysis.
Tony from 30 aigburth? Is that you??? Used to watch mad movies on the night shifts?
@@agerbytes2492 it's Barry. Anthony is my first name,but,yes, we dusty indeed.
I saw Pazuzu just before COVID-19 started I was looking into David’s use of demons to help build the temple on the mountain in the holy land. It has also appeared when I was looking into the dybic box for a friend.
More an opportunity to comment on the movie than this scene specifically even though it is a memorable one. Until recently, I was never a fan of watching horror, even highly rated ones felt cheesy. I've always had a fascination with the making of movies, including horror. I watched some of your own analysis before getting the opportunity to watch it at the cinema last year and it blew me away.
I am quite sensitive to sound and the beginning of the movie was very intense. The digging, the working in the forge, the shouting in a language I'm not familiar with, the calls of the muezzins, the horse hooves on the streets and the music. It was overwhelming for me and when it cut to the relative silence of America I was relieved that it was over. But I also appreciated that part of the movie experience.
In that case look up my video on here called "Excavating The Exorcist". You'll love that one because it goes into the Iraq opening of the movie in fine detail. Best part of the movie!
@@agerbytes2492 I would agree. Because I’ve followed your channel for ages I’d already watched it, because it wasn’t fresh fresh in my mind it didn’t spoil the atmosphere. After watching the movie a rewatched that video knowing the context.
Another favourite is the actual exorcism. It’s been so lampooned over the years but when you see it, you can see they are being physically and spiritually drained by experience.
There's an old saying that goes the devil disguises himself as a beggar
Mr. Scratch
I´ve always loved this scene. One of my favorites of the film. Karras is the central character and the main target of the demon. He has lost his faith. A similar scene can be seen in The Exorcist III, when the demon asks Kinderman, a non believer in God if he helped his unbelief.
Great vid… more more
I thought everyone knew this. They set the tone for that to basically be the only answer.
Read the other comments. Most either didn't know or still don't believe when it's laid out like this.
Pazuzu also either imitates or controls spirits of those who have died. Burke Dennings, Karras's mother, maybe this beggar has died since this meeting. This happens a lot in the third movie, the only other one in the franchise worth the trouble.
Karass' morher apears near the end, sitting on the bed, as if in the flesh, looking direcrly at him with an accusitory look on her face. I never thought about it, but the old beggar could indeed have been a ghostly manifestation also, or the demon appearing to Karras in a human form. As unsettling and disturbing as it is, I freaking love this movie. So much going on at the subliminal, non verbal level.
I believe that as Merrin points out to Karras, "It wants us to give up hope.". The demon looks forward to another match with Merrin, but has chosen to complete the isolation and eventual separation of Karras form his faith, and thus, from God. Satan looks not to punish mankind, but to punish God by separating mankind from Him.
Hey Rob, curious if you've seen Friedkins later film Sorcerer (1977), I consider it his masterpiece out of the few films of his I've seen.
Very physically gritty machismo film that I think handles its spiritual and thematic elements perfectly.
A lot of people like that, but I've tried watching it twice. Gritty, yes, but I didn't care about the characters or story.
@@agerbytes2492 I agree. It was a major disappointment because it was Friedkins follow up to The Exorcist.
I agree the movie is a masterpiece
the exorcist is about faith
sorcerer is about fate
Rob have you considered doing part 3 of the exorcist it’s very good written and directed blatty
IMO I've always felt that the demon characteristics resembles Shiva more so than Pazuzu, little is actually known about Pazuzu outside of Pazuzu was worshipped in Babylon Sumeria, but Shiva's symbol is a black dog, been known to possess people been around 10,000 years or more also had a larger cult following even rivaling the christ cult around the same periods and he's also known to be Lord Of the Underworld (dead) basically the devil and expressesions in a foul tongue, and will return.at the end of the kaliyuga
Interesting. I always assumed the guy actually was homeless and the demon quoting him later on was its way of mocking Karras for ignoring the vulnerable.
I think that the Demon needs Karras in order to lure in Merrin but also makes the effort to emphasize the weakness of Karras's faith and his lip service to caring for the meek and poor. The juxtaposition of the younger, healthier but almost faithless Karris with the older, frailer pillar of Faith that is merrin is a key dynamic of the story. But I side with Karras, why does my God appear so weak in the face of such powerful and menacing evil? Why must I jump through the hoops of Faith in order to save an innocent and blameless child?
I think he's just an actually bum, and the demon uses his knowledge of that encounter to say, 'hey mr. Christian, why didn't you help him?' to attack his integrity.
It seems that one of Pazuzu's problems is a weak bladder. All of his manifestations have difficulties containing their bodily fluids. I guess that's what happens when demons are ancient. Or, more to the point, does this mean that losing control of one's bladder is an ancient faux pas?
Haha
Nifty little scene analysis, but there’s a typo on the end screen, “Pauzu”
Fantastic work again. Just explained in a linear way. I must say though, I disagree with the start being the best part..........When the Ma is walking through the streets to Tubular Bells haunts the life out of me every time.....the start sets it up well though.
I found this funny over the years. So many believe stuff like this to be true and real.
That's why the novel is so much more brilliant. In the novel, it is never made clear whether there is a possession at all - there are medical/psychological explanations given for every single thing that happens to Reagan. Even the ending keeps it ambiguous.
I thought the novel tried way too hard in its ending to convince us that possession is real - up to that point it was great. I appreciated Friedkin mostly removing the preachy God is real because possession is real from the film's ending.
It says "Pauzu" in the end.
It was a bum guys...
The beggar in The Exorcist one of the most scariest character in the movie and just see his deep and cold demeanor in his face which is scary when his face revealed with screeching noise of the train definitely a scary scene in The Exorcist
Is the beggar really relates to pazuzu? It looks like a normal scene in movie.
The thumbnail of the movie almost looks like Tommy Lee Jones
Rob. What do you see when you watch the Wizard of Oz and Return to Oz 😊.
Got an 86 min video on Wizard of Oz on my site. I've got one or two vids on CZcams about it as well, but I think they're on my otyher channels. Just search "rob ager wizard of oz"
Interesting analysis that the film doesn't much try to hide as shadowplay. It's really rather blatant despite all the cinematographic trickery that pretends to be nuanced. The way Friedkin directs is like the way Sid, the kid next door in Toy Story, would direct when he grows up.
algo
Autosubs take a while to kick in.
No it was ina book nothing to do with the devil
The book itself has Karras dreaming about his dead mother lost in an underground subway maze (hell, obviously). The book AND film are full of symbolism. I even talked about the book version of this scene in this video.
@@agerbytes2492 no I’ve read the book his mother was coming out of a subway and going back down it.The decrepit was not a dream in the book he gave the man some money.
I think Karras sees himself in that beggar, it's not Pazuzu. In one moment he thinks he'll end up like this. Pazuzu later uses this thought to attack Karras
SO MANY people in America demonize the poor. Sometimes it's for personal or political profit, but often it comes from a place of real fear: the deep down terror of knowing that majority of Americans are one medical disaster or job loss away from potentially being in the same awful situation.
Who wins in a fight Rob, Pazuzu or Paimon? My money is on Paimon he is crazy powerful and a king in hell.
That's a tough one. Be one hell of a chess game.
@@agerbytes2492 agreed but Paimon has proven to be the superior planner and executor. He won in the end, pazuzu was defeated not once but three separate times. Merrin, Karas, and Detective Kinderman all beat him in the end
@@FirstLast-hi7vv Hmmm, But Paimon's ambition for a male host was delayed for decades. And I don't think Pazuzu necessarily lost in The Exorcist. It killed Merrin within an hour or so of that Exorcism starting. Killed Karras too. Maybe Regan was irrelevant once they were dead so it didn't possess her again.
@@agerbytes2492 strong counterpoints. However, wouldn’t it be fair to say that Father Kara’s killed himself? I always took it as he made the selfless choice to do so, not necessarily that Paimon did it, if that makes sense. He definitely killed father Merrin.
Piamon (a demon/angel/elemental spirit number 9 out ot 72 of Solomon's Goetia spirit's) has nothing on Pazuzu, Pazuzu predates Satan himself and Even Set (where the word Satan oringates from)... Pazuzu is Chonrozon. However of course these are films hehe but I'd still go with Pazuzu.
In the novel its just an old bum nothing more nothing less and that's what is going on here.
No, the beggar scene meant more in the novel too.
@@agerbytes2492 Only in your head, dude.
The carriage scene is a woman, not a man dressed in black
I never said it was man. "... like the figure in the carriage that nearly ran Merrin over, this guy (the beggar, not the one in the carriage) is dressed in black".
This is not good !!
Stupid movie.
Bob, my heart tells me it is more ethereal and cryptic than that. Not literal. Just another layer of ominous atmosphere meant to set the tone on a subtle level. I am not saying you are wrong. I just feel it is not meant to be experienced intellectually as it is to be appreciated emotionally and even spiritually. Just another stanza that adds subtle levels to a film that is meant not just to be watched. Like music it is meant to be experienced. That is why it transcends other films in the genre. The Exorcist is as like a subliminal experience that penetrates the soul. It is worthy of your academic exploration, but somethings are lost when one uses words even if it is constructed with them. Can you explain love with words and do it justice or would you not agree love transcends language and the feebleness of words? Thank you for your explorations and encouragement to get people to think rather than simply tell them like all of those “ending explained” videos on CZcams.
Oh yes, of course it's intended to be subliminal. But like all things subliminal there is a structure of implications that creates the "emotional" effect. Most of my film analysis vids are about taking those emotional / subliminal / atmosphere elements and bringing them into consciousness with a verbal description. It's like if you watch a stage hypnotist at work. You can just sum it up as "they're just using autosuggestion" or something like that, but that kind of base level assessment gives little actual understanding of the hypnosis processes. Go read instructional books on hypnosis and you'll quickly learn that a ton of very specific, consciously learned, techniques are being used by the hypnotist. In the case of film makers, and I know this from writing and directing myself, it's really easy to use similar "hypnotic" techniques both by conscious design and by going by your gut instinct (a certain directorial choice "feels" right during the shoot so you go with it, then later realize in verbal terms why it felt right). Actually you've just given an example, "... me heart (subconscious) tells me ..." Your heart pumps blood and does not speak words in your mind :)
@@agerbytes2492 Thank you Bob. I appreciate the reply. I see I must ponder upon what you stated because at the risk of sounding facetious, your reply resonates with my heart. No one else analyzes film and so forth like you do. An oasis of critical thinking in a desert of “ending explained” and “did you know?” videos that people gravitate too but I think it is too much indoctrination and not enough encouragement to teach people to think for themselves as your work does. Anyway, thank you again. I grateful for it.
Mark