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Excavating the Exorcist (film analysis)
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- čas přidán 21. 01. 2018
- A very in depth study of the excavations opening scenes of The Exorcist and how those scenes relate to the rest of the movie.
Be sure to check out my other vids on The Exorcist as well.
The even darker underbelly of THE EXORCIST • The even darker underb...
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The Iraq scene gives the film a sense of scope. Regan's possession is scary, but the prologue conveys that it's just the tip of an iceberg of ancient evil.
There is a dialogue in the middle of the movie where 2 priests talk about who to get for the exorcism. One mentions Fr. Merrin and says that he had had previous experience. In his Iraqi dig Merrin comes across pieces of a statue that is supoosed to represent a demon. It reminds him of the confrontation. Then he starts seeing signs that Pazuzu is coming again to harrass. He is seen throughout the Iraqi sequence coming to terms with the fact that he will face Pazuzu again and he does not want to.
Also I think its meant to convey that this is truly a possession not merely mental illness.Further, that this possession has some history.
And shooting this in Iraq, especially with the government unrest and risk taken filming there, lifts this narrative way beyond any convention “horror” films released in the 70s. In fact, Friedkin continues to refuse any attempt to label The Exorcist as a “horror” film. To him, it was intense psychological drama that happened to include “supernatural” elements. That highbrow prestige that lifted it beyond convention horror is prolly what allowed it to compete against The Sting and others Oscar nominated films that year. Too bad it won only 2 (best screenplay and best sound), but seems it was The Sting’s year to sweep.
+@Trevor Martin Yes! Reagan was possessed. 81-89.
Yes! I love that opening. It’s what made the film a great film for me, and much larger than the average horror fare
Almost 45 years later, and I still think that this film is a cinematic masterpiece and it still holds up to this day.
People dismiss it as just some outrageous horror movie with head spinning, vulgarity, and vomit.
But its actually a great film about evil, faith and redemption.
Yes that is true. Horror movies of today may have better visual and audio effects but the rich symbolism in The Exorcist is unmatched.
I don't know everybody (obviously) but I don't think I've met a person who appreciates film that doesn't appreciate The Exorcist.
@Junior Mudd
Wrong word "redemption", granted.
Damian Karras regains his faith.
Roger Gonzalez, I read “The Exorcist” years ago and it was so much better than the film! I still thought the movie was phenomenal though.
I rewatche dit a short while ago I forgot how good it actually is
There's something absolutely terrifying about the opening sequence . It's unsettling and you don't know why. Even the call to prayers feels like a warning. It's like, is telling the audience that something.wlicked , ancient and unholy is taking roots. It still haunts me. Absolutely brilliant.
I always read it as a dig at Islam. Early Christians viewed Islam as heresy, and even demonically inspired
@@ishmael2586
Not much has changed since then. They just couldn't handle the spiritual competition imposed new religion.😅
@@ishmael2586no one had a problem with muslims in 1973 people who respect other religions just saw them as other religious people except for israelis who haven t treated them well since 1947 and the british and the french (sykes picot ) 1916 and the armenians since the 1915 genocide
Until muslims started blowing everything up
Because Friedkin is a known Islamophobe.
@@paulheydarian1281 Christianity and Islam both came about at the same time. The reason I say that is because the new testament wasn't written untill 400 years after the events supposedly took place as I when christ lived. There's no literature within those 400 years either to write the new testament from, so it's a work of fiction as is the Koran. Religous nonsense!!!!
I particularly like the instant where Merrin is confronted with armed guards. He waves them off so casually, not even afraid or cautious of the fact that he could be shot dead. And then we see the the thing that truly strikes terror in him is the statue. It implies that the threat of this statue is greater than any material, human danger, preparing us for something cosmic and beyond our comprehension.
"cosmic"
Alright rodney
He knew that was the devil’s vessel at the time or a warning.
I think he waves to them. Period.
He doesn't wave them "off."
These sciences challenge you to think about what YOU ate afraid of.
Why do you assume Merrin is afraid?
Sorry meant scenes and are. I hate stupid text
Sorry
Most films aren't done with this much creativity and intelligence.
Yea i can agree that this is a cool movie
Only kubricks
@@devorah935 I was literally going to say that.
Because they care about jump scare today
And for a horror movie, it actually is intelligent.
It's so crazy to think that Max Von Sydow was only 44 when he played Father Merrin and he looks to be about 74. Very well done.
Marcus McDonald Bloodraven!
Yes - Dick Smith did the make-up and Max did the rest - the way he walks, it's just an astonishing piece of acting.
Leslie Nielsen was 64 when he made "repossessed"
Lor San Tekka. Searching for Jedi relics but stumbles upon an ancient Sith Tomb
Marcus McDonald we all thought Max was 70 for three decades. RIP to the great man.
This film is nearly 50 years old and it's still one of the best films ever made, in my opnion
You say it as though movies depreciate with the passing of time. Quite the opposite - if anything, most if not all of the greatest films were made arguably around over even over 50 years ago (think The Godfather, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, 12 Angry Men, It's A Wonderful Life, Casablanca, etc...)
In the words of Peter Jackson, "Film Is Forever".
@@greatdelusion7654 no I simply mean, in the years following this movie, no other movie especially of this genre have managed to top it!
@@zoeee4939
Oh! Of that there is no doubt 😉
P.s. RIP Friedkin!
Scar face, goodfellas, your mom just some of the best movies
Still the scariest movie of all time
In the past, many blacksmiths lost sight in one eye as they constantly peaked into the furnace to check the condition of the metal and fire, causing visual damage to one of their eyes. In fact, the Japanese blacksmith god 天目一箇神 is one-eyed.
Also Vulcano the greek god is a one-eyed blacksmith
In the kingdom of the blind .. the one eyed is king…
Never heard of protective glasses ?
For me the Iraq sequence emphasizes the universality of Pazuzu's evil. The opening is set in a completely different environment, society, language, and the prayers (I assume) are Islamic rather than Christian. Yet Pazuzu''s malevolence transcends even the theological differences between Islam, ancient Middle Eastern religions and Catholicism. It signals to the viewer that the evil is inescapable, implying that Regan's possession is real and not just a culture bound phenomenon.
Interesting observation, Jacob. I agree.
Thanks! The idea I'm getting at is reflected in Carl Jung's concept of the "collective unconscious". The same experiences and archetypes being reflected across different societies.
Yes, I see. I have always found the Iraq sequences very unsettling for some reason, but couldn't quite articulate why.
Interesting to bring Jung's archetypes into the picture. Perhaps the similarity of Regan's paper-mache model of an anthropomorphic, upright bird with the hybrid-bird Pazuzu suggests an innate human fear of a bird evolving into a human-like creature to rival mankind, acquired as a result of an intuitive awareness of mankind's evolution from mammals, while birds are evolved reptiles.
@Rumblejungle Birds are not evolved from reptiles,they are reptiles just as humans are primates that share a common ancestor with other primates.
This film is a masterpiece. I think it's one of the best movies ever made. Brilliant in all aspects!
It should be recognized that the Pazuzu is a demon he is not the dark lord should one even exist. In many instances I find that people are confused. There are demons yes many if you believe in that sort of thing, however there is only one dark lord! It's important to recognize when you're dealing with demon but if you're dealing with the dark lord you're there for eternity and if you have faith and believe in God and then you will believe that an eternity with the dark lord is a possibility.
@@yvonnerubenacker7039 Mathew 15 :22 = Christianity is a fake religion
And don't forget the bone chilling soundtrack Tubular Bells
@Junior Mudd Indeed it still is
I can't seem to blow the hair from me screen
In an older interview with Friedkin, he talks about his fondness and impact of sound and noise in film. This is exemplified perfectly in this movie
i agree the sound in the film is incredible
It gives Hollywood at least SOME credit that they awarded this an Oscar for sound.
The audiobook read by the author (also on YT) gives me goosebumps every time. He speaks every one of the characters with so much fervor. And he has that raspy, booming voice. It's a special pleasure.
The audiobook made me acknowledge the achievements of the movie even more.
I know right? It scared the shit outta me the first time I listened. He did the demon voice justice.
I enjoyed the book, but there were so many similes in the book and I couldn't deal with it lol
I enjoyed the book, but there were so many similes in the book and I couldn't deal with it lol
That opening scene is one of the best it horror movie history.... the suspense is so palpable. Wonderful performance by Max Von Sydow! Great breakdown.
I remember first watching this downstairs secretly as a teen. It merely took that opening Iraq scene for me to conclude "Fuck this..." I got as far as Regan being posessed and that was it, I had to turn it off. It was the Iraq scene that had originally unsettled me, really.
Candy ass.@@Slechy_Lesh
yes unbelievable acting. What talent
You neglected to mention the facial expression by Merrin as he uncovers the artifact. It's part horror and part recognition...he knows this demon.
the possesed girl says his name (backwards) before he arrives at her house
And part weariness. Max von Sydow really does a great job of portraying a much older man in the movie.
hence, exorcist the beginning
"Neglected"
The Iraq sequence is great because it really speaks to how ancient this evil is. It has been around for eons, waiting for a worthy adversary. And it has found one in Merrin.
yet it had already met and fought with Merrin years before.
@@sclerismockrey8506yes and Merrin beat him so this was round two. In the book I believe Pazuzu said “I was winning” when merrin died. So he didn’t want to kill Merlin and Damian but break them so that they would stray away from god which is what the devil wants to do. Everyone has to die at some point so murder becomes cheap, but making people turn away from god is the goal. Instead of playing games like he did with Damian, it was time to stop playing and be serious once he knew merrin was back for another round of battle.
This is the only movie that frightened me on every possible level of fright.
After it came out, church attendance spiked briefly.
The Iraq opening has always been so creepy to me. The whole thing just gives me the shivers. Have always loved it.
Am I missing something-- isn't it Islamophobia? The first "dialogue in another language" is "Allahu Akbar," "God is Great" in Arabic. It's ostensibly "pagan" religions prior to Christianity, but what we HEAR is a prayer from one of Christianity's major competitors. Hollywood in the 70s and 80s repeatedly used "Oriental" locations in the most racist, colonialist way possible-- the source of evil "Others" and demons.
Why are they creepy to you?
@@jannettekirwin4530 I said the sequence and the way its done is very creepy. Not the people.
@@darthcheeseburger I know
I think the point is that we, fail to see how "creepy" our society is. Friedkin cuts directly from the Iraq sequence to Georgetown, and the audience sees a nice big house and all the comforts of home,.......
where daddy is totally absent, mommy is a narrcasistic celebrity who throws herself a party but does nothing for her little girls party but swear at the telephone operator and surmise that her problem is her unwanted daughter. Now that's CREEPY.
@@darthcheeseburger czcams.com/video/sqAVChwtcuQ/video.html
Do you not find that scene creepy?
I do. The superficial regard of her child, the oblivion of her empathy for this innocent child that she shortly thereafter declared that "thing" up there isn't my daughter. Never once does anyone love that kid. Nobody loves anybody. Evil is not the existence of demons it's the absence of caring.
As powerful as Blatty's novel/manuscript is, I'm not so sure that we'd still be poring over every detail 40 years later without Friedkin's masterful cinematography. Hell of a partnership.
It makes me happy to know there are those that love this movie like I do. Still the best movie ever made. Music, effects, and so well acted, but the writing is top tier. Great video
It’s no wonder this film won an Oscar for sound design. It’s amazing all the way through it.
I found the opening to be quite beautiful, unnerving, but gorgeously shot and composed.
The opening shot had the Muslim call to prayer which is very peaceful
@@seearyari lmfao. Nothing peaceful about that crowd.
Kat B ... I felt the same as well. Glad to know I'm not the only one. Interesting fact: Damien: Omen II (opening scene) starts off the same way in the Archaeological sense as follows ... A week after Robert and Katherine Thorn are buried, archaeologist Carl Bugenhagen learns that their adopted son Damien is alive. Confiding to his friend Michael Morgan that Damien is the Antichrist, Bugenhagen wants him to give Damien's guardian a box containing the means to kill Damien. As Morgan is unconvinced, Bugenhagen takes him to a local ruin to see the mural of Yigael's Wall, which was said to have been drawn by a monk who saw the Devil and had visions of the Antichrist as he would appear from birth to death. Though Morgan believes him upon seeing an ancient depiction of the Antichrist with Damien's face, both he and Bugenhagen are buried alive as the tunnel collapses on them. I just wish there was a movie made like these two movies but keeping with the historical back story and in another culture or country like the middle east and have the evil events to take place there and not in America or any other English speaking country. The cinematography in the opening scenes of The Exorcist is quite beautiful and perfectly shot I do agree. I've always found the middle east to be very intriguing and mysterious compared to most other countries anyway with it's people, history and religion.
@@meganstewart6318 Get off yer high horse and stop generalising. You are what's wrong with the world. 😤
I love this detailed analysis. I always found the "Iraq scene" to be one particularly eerie. Ancient evil. The long shot of Father Merrin facing Pazuzu just represented mankind's never ending battle with evil
A never-ending fight with evil and that you can lose if not on the spiritual right track.
The greatest trick the devil ever played was mankind not thinking he's real
My thoughts exactly after analyzing this film on my own. Iraq is one of the most ancient civilizations on earth, so they, along with other ancient civilizations, they have knowledge about ancient evil in a raw form. I believe it was in existence in a more pronounced and pure form back then because mankind was not as advanced (hence myth). Now. Its probably pronounced in Smartphones (the market of the beast). Any are welcomed.
Evil is a subjective idea. Don't bother them, they won't bother you!
@@christinefilas9392 Please stop talking.........
I couldn’t sleep for two nights after watching this movie. That’s what makes powerful cinema.
Living alone at the time I viewed this on TV, i was very afraid to go to bed afterwards. I remember i had to leave my nite lite on, but was facing a fake tree I had in the corner of my room where the lite threw shadows on my walls. I was terrified I was going to open up a portal to the underworld. It took all my strength to avoid staring at it. It was a fear that to date, 45yrs later, I have never felt before. This movie is not like any other horror movie. It stands alone and will never be forgotten by many.
The sound editing in this movie is also brilliant, and designed to startle the viewer.
For example in the opening sequence, when Merrin drives up to the ruins. This begins as a long shot taken in silence, then it suddenly cuts to a close-up, with the loud noise of the Jeep engine.
Later on, when Reagan and her Mother are playfully wrestling in the lounge room, the camera slowly pans in, then abruptly cuts to the subway scene, with the deafening roar of the train.
These are just two examples that come to mind, of the outstanding skill of Friedkin as a director.
He uses these cues to make the audience feel uneasy, and to plant in their minds the sense of an approaching horror.
The film is very subliminal… not just in the now obvious demon flashes… but in the sound track and the juxtaposition of opposing scenes… which is what you were saying I think.. it all just builds a inner scene of dread … it’s a masterpiece…
I was also struck by the Iraq sequence and I really liked it. Theres a certain alien-ness all around Merin. Hes a Cathlolic priest in a Muslim world. The architecture, the people around him, the dig, the sense of something ancient. The dogs, and most of all the scene with Merin staring at the statue of Pazuzu. It's like hes saying, remember me, I never left because I've always been here and always will and you're just an old priest, with his head in the desert because spreading the word of Christ isn't in you anymore.
Muslim, Catholic, Talmudic....all Mystery Babylon. Same dark force.
I have watched the exorcist at least 100 times and read the book a dozen times and you analysis brought up ideas I’ve never thought of! Mind blown!
I've noticed that in so many movies you can find your own metaphors etc if you dig deep enough
I read Blatty's novel in one night. I couldn't put it down nor fall asleep out of fear. I saw the movie premiere in Manhattan in '73. At the conclusion of the movie I observed several movie goers who were visibly affected by the film. I was too young then to fully grasp the prologues significance but I was aware on a visceral level that the artifact was symbolic, a foreshadowing of the evil to come. I can see why the opening sequence is of greater interest to you than the rest of the movie. The symbolic subtlety of the early scenes versus the more overt horror of the rest of the movie is more interesting on an intellectual level. My favorite symbol is the wall clocks pendulum coming to a dead stop. To me it says that evil and our struggles against it are a timeless concept and of course it is 12, high noon, (like the title of the old western), the fight between good and evil is on! This post references the fine movie but it's worth noting the fine writing in the novel. Hemingway said that good writing does not purposely insert symbols, it "breathes symbols", (he was referring to the fisherman Santiago carrying a mast across his shoulders up the hill to his shack like Christ, the cross he bore, and Calvary Hill). The Iraq scene masterfully conveys how our fear of evil is universal and can possess any of us to do wrong at any time, even a priest, who occasionally doubts his calling and ability to combat evil. Btw, one of the scarier moments in the novel was when Regan descended the stairs like a spider. I was disappointed that it was not in the original movie but was happy to see it in this post. Thank you for this detailed and well narrated analysis of The Exorcist. I will use it as a teaching tool for my creative writing students. I will check out your other vids on the subject. God bless you and keep up the good work.
The Exorcist was made by westerners primarily for western audiences. From a narrative point of view the Iraq sequence is there for two reasons: to emphasise the alien nature of the background to the story; and to disorientate and shock the audience, plunging them into a (to many of them) strange and therefore nervously scary world.
It presents Merrin’s background as an archaeologist, giving him more depth and worldly knowledge to
add to his religious standing.
Sound is used brilliantly in The Exorcist (the film won an Oscar for Best Sound), and the (to most western audiences’) unfamiliar chanting, calls to prayer etc are used in place of music to heighten tension and drive the unspoken narrative. The blacksmiths’ hammers are jarring but hypnotic. The clatter of horses’ hooves and the barks and yelps of dogs are harsh and shocking. Added sounds are amplified, brash and unnerving; sudden silences even more so.
The film very effectively establishes its atmosphere and authority, separating the audience from the familiar and immersing us into a somewhere “other”. It makes us pay attention, even though on first viewing it’s impossible to be certain what we’re experiencing.
Much symbolism can be seen amid this flurry of deliberately confusing action - some intentional, some accidental, much utter bunk - but it all adds layers of intrigue that mean we are still fascinated by it almost 50 years after it was made, the mark of a true classic.
.
Well said. Agree completely.
Asian here, people in where I live don't believe in Exorcism. ( In fact, they don't believe in demons at all. There is one demon, Satan, and possessing is beneath him, I guess)
For that reason, Exorcist never was scary to me and I never understood the movie. They explain why the demon subsequently named Pazuzu possess Linda Blair, sure, but there are more practical ways to utilize such abilities.
Here; people get "harassed" by "Evil eyes", lost souls, hexes and other things, but simple prayer is generally implemented for such things, not a ritualistic dispelment.
And the people here told to be "possessed" has visual generational deformities caused by inbreeding. by that I mean they look like dumbasses even before so called event of Possession.
Not talking about Schizophrenia, of course, as the first movie mentioned and made it clear for everybody.
@@hannibalburgers477 Good to hear about your experience of the film. Thanks! I'm in the UK and I've seen Asian horror films - the cultural differences can be confusing - but they are also usually pretty scary!
The question of why the demon chooses to possess a young girl in America: the film doesn't spell out the mechanics of possession, or the motive of the demon, which adds to the disorienting, illogical mysterious atmosphere.
The demon wants to fight and mentally break Father Merrin (and Father Karras also) and Regan is simply a random tool to get at the priests.
There is a suggestion that the Ouija board opens the way for Pazuzu to get at Regan. Is her mother's lack of religious faith another weakness to be exploited? No wonder the Catholic Church approved of the film!
But all this is left vague and open to interpretation.
Regan, her family, and Father Karras are unwittingly drawn in to an ongoing battle, and it feels to me that this could have happened to anyone: their "power" - fame, wealth, intellect, faith - are useless here.
Ruthless Pazuzu wanted a rematch with Fr Merrin and used whatever tools necessary to bring that about. But the demon's shock and disappointment when the old priest dies of a mundane heart attack is significant; Pazuzu relishes the challenge of tricking and horrifying and testing the faith of the plaything humans.
SPOT ON
I've been a big fan of the opening sequence for years, but not quite sure why. Thankyou for articulating the reasons why this part of the film is so important.
What an amazing analysis! I've long wondered about the meaning of the Iraq sequence in the context of the rest of the story. All I could glean is that it etablishes Merrin as scholarly and sophisticated in his spiritual practice. It also establishes his waning strength, physicially and spiritually. I appreciate your examination of the subtler cinematic cues that introduce and reinforce the subtext throughout this film-- namely, that independent women are weak and vulnerable to the influence of evil; additionally, men lose their divinity (or their connection to God) through their connections to women. Your thorough analysis inspires me to further develop my interpretations and insights. Thank you for sharing such high quality content!
I find the call to prayer at the beginning of the movie is the most beautiful I have ever heard. I’ve heard it many times in other movies and documentaries etc, but this version is the most beautifully sung.
I've always thought that the scenes of the Iraqi archeological dig were meant to represent ancient evil, something plaguing humankind from time immemorial.
Katherine Uribe in ancient Sumeria and Mesopotamia UDUG demons were worshipped as far back as 1243-1518 bc. Pazuzu May have been one of them.
You are right
Google: Saddam's Stargate
The reason why the CIA Manufactured the First Gulf War
Well it is the cradle of civilization. So that makes senseless
Katherine Uribe excellent point
I've never forgot these scenes. The dogs fighting is brilliant.
I was just thinking that when I read your post. What is your take on the dog fight? I see it as representing the fury and ferocity of the evil unleashed and the coming battle against it.
@@blaineedwards8078 🤣
@@Articulatekarein what’s your take on it, Michael Vick?
@@Articulatekarein what’s your take on it, Michael Vick?
No idea if this has been commented on before and sorry, but we don't have time to read through all the 3.5k comments. However, we just wanted to say, the 'chanting in a foreign language' during the beginning Iraq scene(s) is, in fact, the Muslim 'Call to Prayer' in Arabian language. We, my wife and I, are both Muslim, and that's how we know what I just said is truth and fact. Thank you. Assalam U Alaikum! (May God's/Allah's Blessings be Upon You!!)
Allah is Satan.
Do not be deceived by Allah and go to hell.
Salvation comes only from Jesus Christ your Creator.
Thanks, most people know from Indiana Jones
@@nosuchthing8 is that a joke?
@Z no, there was a scene where they were doing a morning prayer.
Interesting. What is this demon called in Islam?
46:46 The children shown in the clips are depicted playing. The shots are shown to emphasize and contrast the normal life of a child to that which Regan is enduring. As I recall at this time in the film Regan is enduring a battery of tests to determine what is wrong with her.
10:20 Merrin did not defeat the demon in the first exorcism in Africa, the demon relented. When the other two priests are talking one states that Merrin's previous exorcism "damn near killed him". The demon does not want Merrin's life, it want's his soul. If the demon had persisted in the previous exorcism Merrin would have died. In the book when Karras finds Merrin dead the demon screams at Karras to save him. It is enraged because Merrin had died before it could force him to despair and win his soul. The demon never wanted Regan - why would it want Regan she is not a choice target, but Merrin and Karras are. She was the bait to draw Merrin. The demon now attempts to take Karras' soul by having him kill Regan. Karras has expressed issues regarding his faith or belief in God if he dies in this state he will lose his soul. He, like Merrin, is a prime target, but Karras thwarts the plan of committing murder (in the Catholic faith this is a mortal sin punishable by eternal damnation) by committing suicide. Suicide is also a mortal sin, but he confesses before he dies and is thus saved.
But it wasn't a suicide, it was a sacrifice. He gave his life, willingly, to save another, emulating the sacrifice of Jesus for the salvation of others.
You are still correct about his state of belief at the time for death being something he had to have corrected before he died, and about Merrin's situation. I don't think the demon lost the battle before, I can't remember if blatty explicitly stated that or not, that the demon wanted merrin's soul and not his death, but the demand to save his life at the end displays that, but I can see how people who aren't catholic or orthodox, or who don't actually know what the devil is supposed to be after probably wouldn't immediately go to making him despair and die in that state like judas did.
oh. your explanation makes it so clear & bright. the battle bwtn reagan & the demon is a mismatch. the demon really wants karas & merrin to question their faith, using reagan has a pawn in the game, like Job being used as a pawn in the game btwn God & satan in the book of Job in the old testament in the bible.
@@DATo_DATonian
You're assuming that Jesus sicced demons on him and that they weren't already present and made worse by his betrayal and despair. If the devil wants your soul, what better way than to drive one to despair so that they give it over to him?
I believe the lesson in judas is that all can be forgiven of one seeks such. He was remorseful, but he didn't seek repentance. Instead, he fell into guilt and despair, and in that state he took his own life, which is why he was both tormented and condemned.
@DATo DATonian
What Christian historical scholars believe that?? That is a massive speculation and not backed up by the texts at all. They are then making assumptions about how rabbis and their disciples operated at that time, also not backed up by any texts, much less the biblical texts. I absolutely challenge that assertion as having no known basis.
Especially as rabbis were sponsored largely by wealthy people, not always other Jewish people, but often by wealthy romans who had become attracted to Judaism's "Sola mentes" worship, employing no idols and thus being rather confounding to pagans.
Judas is never identified as the treasurer of the group, and indeed it rather goes against what is known of how the apostles operated their ministries, as well as rabbis and their disciples at the time.
A rabbi would have had a very close assistant who would have handled things unrelated to his teaching, but yet again, none is identified as that, and certainly not Judas. If one were to make that assertion, John the beloved would be the most likely candidate. Hell, even Mark or Matthew would be more likely candidates to be the ones handling the logistics. That is simply a 'leap of faith' to assert a narrative which has no known basis.
My basis for the forgiveness narrative is that judas is juxtaposed against Peter, who denies Jesus 3 times, is also remorseful, but seeks forgiveness, whereas judas does not. Peter goes on to be an apostle, judas ends up condemning himself to hell.
Third point, if judas were just going to introduce them to Jesus, in the middle of the night no less, why would he take a payment to do it? He may not have known they wanted to ultimately crucify Jesus, but he certainly could not have thought they had no ill intent since he took a bribe to do it.
Fourth, Judaism was by NO MEANS a unified religion in Judea at the time. In fact, Daniel Boyarin and Stephen DeYoung both assert that the nazarene sect was the most open to what Jesus said he was, expecting exactly what Jesus said he was as their messiah. Segal also discussed the 2 powers theory later expunged from midrash and declared a heresy post-jesus. The simple fact that the pharisees are knkwnto have been, at that time, a fringe sect that went around proselytizing the people of Israel to "build fences" around commandments and there in the text of the Bible are rebuked for such, would be natural enemies of the saducees who believed the temple was absolutely solid and valid. Then there are the essenes, who thought the temple was valid but the priests were not, and on and on we go. These were not a cohesive group of people by any means. In fact, we use "the jews" incorrectly because only those Israelites in Judea were called jews, and in particular the priestly class. It goes again into forming up a neat and tidy narrative of the time and place, of the factions, the politics and the power struggles at the time, which is simply not true.
DATo DATonian
Lol, no. That is absolutely false. The concept of a divine god-man messiah predates Jesus by at least a century and was absolutely what Jesus said he was. It's literally written right there in the texts, so whoever didn't believe that at nicea was just plain wrong, idgaf who they were. I would think all the near eastern theological scholars who keep pointing this out would have done away with that idiocy decades ago, but here we are again.
In 1st century Jewish texts, there is plenty of evidence that the god-man messiah was an expectation, and as anyone would expect from Jewish philosophers, they argued about it which is how we know about it.
Second, why would the sanhedran declare him guilty of blasphemy for saying he was the messiah?? Do you have any idea how many messiahs were all over the place in the first century?? A shit load, and that's the joke in life of Brian when his mum says "hes not the messiah! He's a very naughty boy!" Because there were so many self-proclaimed messiahs that it made it in as a joke in a Monty Python movie from the 70s, dude. That's how well known the myriad messiah situation was, and still should be for anyone who pays attention to it.
Why was Jesus guilty of blasphemy if he wasn't saying he was god? It's a completely nonsensical argument against him if he wasn't saying that.
Next, there are at least 84 canonical texts. Nicea applies to the Greek church, but all the other churches kept their canons as they were. The Canon for the Greek church was already set before Constantine was ever born.
I highly suggest you read borderlines by Daniel Boyarin, a Jewish scholar, and get your facts straight about how the church, and by extension rabbinical Judaism, became what they are, including the declarations of various heresies and refinement of beliefs. He gets into rather extreme detail in the Jewish gospels about exactly why Jesus was absolutely asserting his divinity, and anyone who understands 1st century judaism would not have missed that for a second.
Hell, dude. I'm not even a believer, I am a student and I sure as shit didn't miss what he was saying when he said "I tell you, 'you will see one like the son of man seated at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds'." And WHY that was an incredibly shocking and blasphemous thing to say.
I guess I'm stumped as to why you don't know why that would be so blasphemous and as to why you would ever come away thinking Jesus wasn't saying that he's god.
R.I.P Max Von Sydow, what a great actor you were!
you were
@@davidcopson5800 Glad someone noticed after 2 years... 🧐
@@1967DIF My pleasure.
Two thoughts I wanted to add
1. The man leading along the blind man might represent Father Merrin having to lead Father Karras to his doom later on.
2. The winged lion drawing might be a biblical reference. In the book of Daniel, the prophet Daniel sees a vision of several horrifying beasts, the first of which he describes as a winged lion.
1 makes sense since father karras looses his faith ..and maybe the leading man aka MERIN ,is him guiding him back to faith.
When Merrin stands at the archeological site facing Pazuzu, it shows the gulf between good and evil. It's the best part of the movie. It's the microcosm of life. The best part of this masterpiece
I just watched this film for the first time in my life, and I share your response. The first ten minutes were easily my favourite. The whole was excellent, don't get me wrong. But the opening sequence is Something Else. The atmosphere conveyed by colour, editing, sound, facial expression and the use half stone faces - this is pure M.R. James territory. But it reaches deeper than the 'antic-demonic' to something more universal. In that sense it pulls together the eerieness of e.g. the James tradition of ghost story with the cosmic-horror of another. The warmth and quiet brought to mind the Great God Pan. This exceeded my expectations... The images of this sequence alone are going to be with me for some time.
Has there ever been a film version of Machen’s novella “The Great God Pan?” Because that could be terrifying!
10 years before he died William Blatty contacted me about information on his great uncle (He contacted me because I am an historian of the Eastern Catholic Churches and a Maronite) who was a Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop (we would say Archeparch). He wrote in an email to me that the demon in the movie was based on the demon his siddou (grandmother in Lebanese Arabic) told him about. Also Fr. Merrin's name was a nod towards his Eastern Catholic roots since Maron is a very popular name for Lebanese Christians. Fr. Merrin's first name is an homage to an archeologist he had met.
I thought you would get a kick out of knowing this.
Thank you for sharing it gives more life to the movie.
I recommend Mr. Blatty's book for reading, not only as a horror novel, but above all as a beautiful story OF Deep Faith IN GOD'S GRACE, in the face of unspeakable evil.
@YSV Rao Yes, but the desecrations are spoken about only, and the black mass is read about by detective Kinderman in the ''scholarly volume on witchcraft''.
Interesting. Thank you!
Shawn Dorisian can u upload that email on your channel ... be Kool to see they way he put it
I watched Exorcist in 1977 in Karachi. The first 10 minutes of Iraq sequence was truly intriguing and central to the theme of movie. After so many years the appeal, mystique and power of this film remains undiminished.
I'm sorry, but alot of what he's trying to make into something really deep, and hidden are just people in Mosul going about every day life.
@@rasheed12th38 Your mind didnt capture what he means. I guess you are not a perceptive person
@@rasheed12th38 typical Muslim response
William Friedkin
"If you believe that the world is a dark and evil place, that’s what you will take out of ‘The Exorcist.’ But if you believe that there is a force of good in the world that is forever combating evil, sometimes winning victories over evil, but never an ultimate victory... if you believe as I do that that’s the case, then you will take that away from ‘The Exorcist”
In an interview about “The Exorcist” in 1973, Mr. Friedkin was explicit about his intentions. “The film,” he stressed, “is primarily about the mystery of faith.”
In an interview in 2018, Mr. Friedkin was asked about his own religious beliefs. “I don’t know anything,” he said, “but neither does anyone else. No one knows anything about the eternal mysteries, how we got here, why we’re here, is there an afterlife. Is there a heaven and a hell? Who knows?”
@@MarbRedFred
But he's right. Go live anywhere other than the anglo-sphere. Different cultures have different norms. This was filmed in the early 70s, when things were really different. Not the same homogeneous crap we have today.
I"ve been on a demonoglogy movie streak lately. I'm Catholic and can't get enough, probably bc I have bipolar disorder and i feel like i'm in the tug of war of good and evil and it's just more obvious for me.
Still the scariest movie I have ever seen in my 56 trips around The Sun. It still frightens me when i watch it. Why Hollywood hasn't been able to do this since scares me even more about this movie. Makes it seem like something darker than I'd like to admit is going on with The Exorcist.
For all we know God could have intervened in it to make the exorcist as powerful as it is. Making people aware of evil with capital E is a work of good.
@@ignacio4159 - Or Satan did it.
@@HardRockMiner sure why not
I've been to Georgetown loads of times. There was a pub I used to go into. The barman used to call me the exorcist, coz each time I went in I'd rid the place of spirits.
RTHA300 I’m playing at the British Legion just down the way from you. I’m there all week!!
I like dad jokes. Good job
khh1964 hey, thanks! I do a line of creepy-uncle jokes, too.
Bahaha
Not to make light of a truly serious issue but....you know what happens if you don't pay your exorcist?....................................................you get repossessed! :)
During the excavation, the way Merren swallows hard, like he knows what he's about to break off the rock. This film is absolute brilliant artistry.
I agree, this is one of the most important and best parts of the film.
I'm not a fan of this movie, I find it WAY too boring, but your videos have given me an appreciation for it, so thank you for that.
Many years ago, I had a vhs of the Exorcist, I paused the scene with the old woman in the carriage who almost runs over Merrin. I believe it's part of the subliminal editing that the face is absolutely supposed to resemble Regan's possessed face. I can't believe its paused in this video, it's one of the creepiest things I've ever seen.
Damn, this film still gives me the Shivers.
The bit where Reagan screams MERRIN! When he turns up at Reagan's home, was 1 of the scariest watching as a child, I can't believe I watched this at 13 😂
I watched at 13 too and didn’t sleep for 3 days after lol
I grew up on this at age 3 😂😂
I watched this damn movie when I was 6 idk why
l think l slept with the lights on and with my eyes open for an entire week😂😂😂 age 8
I was hoping to find more on the St Joseph medallion found in the same dig as the Pazuzu amulet. It's the same that Father Karras wore and that is ripped off by Pazuzu before it can possess his body. It's perceptible a few times during the film. The archaeologist in Iraq said it's from a different time period to the other articles found so maybe deliberately buried with the Pazuza amulet in Iraq to stop him coming back to the real world and once removed from the burial spot, Pazuzu was able to free itself?
The Iraq scenes are very memorable, along with the dream sequence of Father Karras , they are the first things that come to mind
The beggar in the subway is an implied reference to Karras fading faith. Karras’ expression is one of indifference, a characteristic foreign to any dedicated priest...
Later in the bedroom, Pazuzu throws the subway encounter at Karras’ face..
Thanks Rob, longer-form uploads always appreciated.
I have not seen this movie since I was age 13 in 1981. Tonight it absolutely blew my mind completely. The acting and its script are phenomenal. I truly can't believe it. Exorcist, Shining, Psycho, Omen, Thing = top 5 best horror movies of all time!
7:11 the demon also only apears as a child later in Regan, btw are those the only children featured in the film?
There's quite a few children in the film. The young boy who runs to tell Merrin they've found objects in Iraq is one and the kids running along the street dressed as ghosts and witches for Halloween are others. There are also children in the Iraqi scenes in the background. And children playing in the new York Street when karras goes to visit his mum.
One of the weirdest and disturbing scenes is when Det Kinderman is staked out in front of the McNeil home and sees a shadow floating around Regans room😬
When in the movie was this? I must've misesd this.
its just after the young priest leaves the house for the first time.
@@jakel6473 Thanks, I found it based on that! Love the accompanying sound effect, very haunting.
The symbolism of the fly is a connection to a demon or to the devil. The name Beelzebub literally means, "lord of the flies" in Hebrew.
I'm surprised Rob didn't mention that.
Aeon Flux.
A lot of people know the literal translation, but very few know that it really is intended to mean "dung pile"
Flies also represent the plagues of Egypt and other important Christian or other bad events in religion.
The Priest in the Amityville Horror movie when blessing the house for the first time . I assume the flies represented the evil presence in the house.
"Allah u akbar" means "God is great!" in Arabic. The evil connotation of this Islamic call to prayer at the beginning of the movie and referring to it as a "chant" is deviously deceptive.
The broken wing of pazuzu if you notice in the shot of the statue could symbolise perseverance that it’s going to try live on through possession of Reagan and also that a struggle is going to take place. Just something I noticed. Thank you for your analysis. I saw the 4k 50th anniversary this week and seeing on the big screen was such an amazing visual experience
I really believed Max von was real old aged actor at that time.
yes same here. And look at him now, he looks exactly the way in the movie. Make up artist, great eye
The first movie I ever saw Max Von Sydow in was Minority Report in which he was 75 yrs old. I then saw him in The Exorcist ten years later and was really confused.
Well, may he rest in peace
ha ha right mate
I'd have sworn to it in court.
Next to the Eyes Wide Shut pieces, this analysis is one of my absolute favorite pieces of Rob's work. Excellent example of how in-depth Rob gets, while making the info easily presentable and fun to follow!
Fascinating analysis.
One of the most ancient “fairy tales” in humanity is about a blacksmith making a deal with the Devil.
In the most ancient version(s) of this story, the blacksmith actually wins against the Devil and is able to pin the Devil down with a metal stake using metal tempering skills he acquires from the Devil.
Perhaps the blacksmith with the damaged eye predicts the priests’ ultimate victory against evil but at a cost, though much higher than the loss of an eye.
Thank you for the superb video.
Thanks for the extremely deep analysis, I had to watch the opening scenes numerous times again to catch all the subtle and implied storyline.
It has made me appreciate this incredible movie much more as the makers have been extremely methodical using subtlety and music to great effect.
As soon as the words "The Exorcist" comes up on the screen at the beginning of the movie , the first word you hear is who the true Exorcist is. The one that rids and has control over all the evil spirits.
I thought your synopsis of the film was very interesting and enlightening. I was 23 years old when I saw the film at its original release. One important element not mentioned was its effect on the audience. You would have to have been of the pre-CGI generation to appreciate the shock value of the SFx; the head turning around and the vocal efx, not seen before in movies. Up to that point; I had seen every Horror film I could, so I thought I had a pretty tough skin. But this film scared the hell out of me and most other viewers, with some fainting in the theater. I had to sleep with the lights on for a month! What made it so terrifying was that the “monster” wasn’t a physical being, like Frankenstein or Dracula, which you could hide from, but an invisible entity capable of catching you anywhere, anytime.
I’ve seen the film many times and learning more each time. Your analysis made me think more deeply into the story line and the director’s use of religious metaphors, particularly, the pictures and other items placed around the house. Back when the film came out, we had little knowledge of the Islamic world and its influences on Christianity. The Iraq imagery Friedkin used went over my head but I became intrigued and began to research more on this subject. Years ago, I read a book I think was called Legion, which is the true story; the Exorcist is based on and has a “play by play” transcript of the exorcism. The hospital where the second exorcism took place had closed down that hallway. During renovations, a worker found a book that was a log of the exorcism. This book made its way to Blatty, who developed it into the movie. It scared me so much that I threw out the book after reading it.
Throughout your presentation, you were sometimes conflicted about whether some images were placed purposefully or not. As a film student, I learned that everything shown on camera is intended, unless the film is so low budget that certain physical elements, like a plane or car going by, can’t be managed. This was no low budget film.
As a side note; while I lived in D.C., I visited the house and the stairs from the movie, a few times but found them not scary, at all. As you probably know, they’re in different locations. Back in the 80's, I was in a Syracuse Univ. stage play, The Butterfingers Angel..., directed by Arthur Storch, the psychiatrist who had his balls grabbed by Regan in the living room scene. Sometimes, when we passed each other around the stage, I'd say, bolloxed?" under my breath and he'd chuckle. I got to ask him about how they shot that scene and he said that it took many takes because of the rigging used to get the camera to follow him in a static close shot as he fell backwards and to have it a controlled fall.
Anyway, I thank you for your insights, which helped give me a better understanding.
Legion is the origin story of Merrin and based on the true story I believe.
Funny you said you threw out the book after reading it… true story, my sister, her husband and I watched this on vhs from Blockbuster in the 90’s, and after it was over, I ejected that tape and threw it in a canal that was behind the apartments we lived in at the time. I didn’t even want it in the house with us 😂
I've always thought that he hug he gives to his collegue is very understated. Like maybe they were very very close at some point, or been involved in something specific to warrant such an embrace.
Coming from a home where my (70s/80s) parents would talk to a ouija board every night and all kinds of weird stuff happening in the house on a regular basis, I can attest that evil entities will attach themselves to the young and vulnerable and stay attached for many years, well into adulthood.
You were lucky to have occultist parents. Evil is subjective.
@@christinefilas9392no it's not,evil is real,not subjective!🤣🤣🤣
I remember the scene when Reagans mother came into the bedroom. Hallway was lit, bedroom dark. And a face can be seen on the wall next to the door. It's the face you see in the exorcism.
yup incredible scene
That always gave me the creeps
the buzzing sound heard when Merrin see's the pazuzu head is actually the sound of bee's in a jar, then put up to a microphone.
I think that the buzzing sound is also symbolic of the devil. Remember in biblical lore the
devil was known as the" lord of the flies."
You could say the shot of the man leading the blind man as a metaphor Merrin leading Karras through the exorcism. Karras had never done one before, so Merrin has to guide him. You could look deeper into it also being symbolic of Karras' loss of faith & being blind to the possession at first & Merrin has to show him it's real. Karras thought (or at least wanting to believe) it's psychological & it wasn't until during the exorcism, you can see the true horror on Karras' face when the bed starts lifting (though he's seen things before that, such as the "Help Me" scene, the exorcism is where he seems to really realise it's supernatural). The cover over the blind man's mouth could represent that when Karras was so shocked that he couldn't speak, Merrin had to prompt him for the response (i.e. removing the symbolic cover from his mouth).
Like Jesus healing the blind and the dumb…
I love a meditative, quiet, "relaxing" tone to get transfixed in a horror film, it's why I love Skinamarink so much
When this movie came out back in the day it was traumatizing ! Scariest movie I’ve ever seen. Made you sleep with the lights on !
"Serpent-like howl", now there's an interesting phrase.
This was really excellent. Thank you for all the time and effort you put into this.
When I read the novel, I found myself getting watery eyes because the possession is more of a side story to Father Karras’s loss of faith. It is very much a story of redemption and sacrifice for the greater good.
I was a mere lad of 21 when I first saw this film. It even scared ME as a grown man and gave me nightmares. Even then I knew there were subtleties to the movie and nuances that I couldn't sum up at the time that added up to create a such an impact. It without doubt did the same to countless others without almost any of them realizing WHY it worked so well to create this impact. Very nicely done in your summary of the film and the PSYCHOLOGICAL reasons it had such a profound effect on its audiences.
I’ve always thought that father Merrin was actually played by an old actor
But I’ve learned that he was wearing make up
That’s how great make up artist were then!!!
That's exactly what I thought too.
Max Von Sydow was an older actor at the time. He was most certainly NOT a young actor although he doesn't seem to have aged much between The Exorcist and Game of Thrones
@@eugeneariz5932 he was 44
@@eugeneariz5932 holy crap, I've never notice that. He practically looked the same. And The Exorcist was made almost 50 years ago. Merrin must have made a deal with Pazuzu 😜.
I discovered him first in The Tudors prior to the Game of Thrones. I was wondering why he always looked the same and that's when I realized that he was wearing makeup in The Exorcist
I'll never forget watching this movie for the first time when I was 10 back in 96 with my dad. (He always let me watch the scary uncensored movies because we had a scramble cable box, the movies always scarred me and my mom hated it, but it was rare quality time I got with my father) the scene when maroon enters the house and it screams out his name scared me so badly I couldn't sleep for days, just replaying that scream over and over again in my head. Many other parts got to me but just that simple scream stuck with me for years.
Your father sounds like an idiot.
This felt like a labour of love. Very well-researched and sheds light on a brilliant prologue that certainly deserves the praises you place on it.
Even as a kid I loved the Iraq sequences, it set a great ominous tone even though I couldn’t have said why.
The best comment I ever heard about The Exorcist was like "it's not someone jumping out at you and going BOO! It's a slow finger up the ass."
Couldn't agree more.
The sound design and the simmering scenes do their work. It's heavy and foreboding. There is an undercurrent that carries throughout the entire story. It prepares us by establishing that the evil in this story is ancient and beyond our human understanding.
They apparently did Pazuzu dirty in this film. His role in the Babylonian pantheon was as a guard dog. Like a gargoyle, his appearance was terrible in order to frighten off the evil goddess Lamashtu, "Mother of stillbirths and monsters, thief of children." In this way, Pazuzu protected pregnant women and promoted fertility.
The blind guy being led also has his ears and mouth covered, could this represent the old saying, hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil?
I know nothing.......show me the way.
And then I met a blind man who showed me how to see!! EPIC. Steven Tyler
I took this shot to be an image of suffering, commensurate with the pain and suffering that is always associated with evil entities and that will soon be visited upon Regan.
Nathan Joseph
It's quite simple. A desert is very dusty. The old man has his ears and mouth covered simply to keep the dust out.
I think it mirrors the later roles as Father Merrin "leading" Father Karris thru the Exorcism scenes , and of the Demon possessing the young and innocent Regan
I agree with many of your great points but like to add some more ...plus some of the scenes in the beginning of the sequence are of culturally middle eastern beliefs and superstitions.
1). The clock stopping is a metaphor that supernatural forces (maybe even God himself) is telling Merrin that his time's- up.
2). The man with the Cataract is a cultural Mediterranean/middle eastern metaphor of the evil eye (basically, ill will is being put father Merrin's way).
3). The woman crying in the buggy is morning the death of a loved one, it's symbolism that Merrin is going to face death.
4.) The men praying is an Islamic timely prayer of the day -to Night, that is a religious tradition some believe to keep the devil away. which symbolizes Merrin facing the devil (note: it would have been impossible to film Merrin walking infront of them, because it's considered badluck in Islamic beliefs to walk infront of someone while they are praying).
5). The two wild dogs fighting is from Islamic beliefs and various legends that stretch back into ancient middle eastern folklore, that the wild dogs represent Jinn (demons) and them fighting is another message of a coming battle.
6). Then the last part of that scene Merrin facing the statue (his adversary) ... then we see a similar scene when Merrin comes to the house when it appears that both the demon and Merrin can feel each others presence as if their minds are touching, facing one another -two adversaries in battle.
Well put
Thanks so much for this!!
Better than watching the whole analysis and much more on target.
Great video, the lengthy, atmospheric opening in Iraq with its subtle portents and omens establishes the mood of the film in a way I still almost never see in other horror movies. It takes what would be an extremely solid supernatural potboiler and elevates the material.
I always felt that the clanging of the metal as it's forged, was a representation of Merrin's alarm with the discovery of Pazzuzu's figurine.The music represented Merrin's racing thoughts and fears.
I think you draw a long bow, my friend... but still, very interesting.
Yeh some things aren’t really things
Ok Justin Where is your video?
WF himself said the shoemaker scene at 22:10 had no relevance to the story, he just liked it so he put it in. This is the brilliance of cinema, and art in general. It means what the experiencer decides it means. The artist's intentions, to the extent that there are any, are not relevant. If they were relevant, then the item would not be art. Artists are not critics. But critics are artists, and the critic's job as an artist is not to enlighten anyone, it is to create a completely new work of art using someone else's art as a catalyst. And RA's art is spectacular. That is all.
@@debgib007 Are you suggesting that viewers cannot comment on a CZcams video unless we present our own video. If so, then most CZcams comment sections would be empty.
That's what I was thinking. God forbid someone formulate their own opinion on something up to interpretation. Why should he have to provide a video because he disagrees? Stop white knighting content creators and grow the fuck up.
"Evil against Evil" statement from the beginning part always stood out for me.
Deepa Lall Man's evil
Definitely one of my top favorite films in history. It's naturally psychologically dark, which ignites ones darkest imagination, which.. is beautiful to me.
I always loved the opening Iraq scene,the extended version is a bit longer and more in depth, It introduces us to the hero of the film and possibly the villain of the film.
Reagan’s drawings of the kids talking to the wolf and the kids talking to the evil witch are also representative of her talking to the demon with the ouija board. Just like in those stories the kids believe they are talking to good beings (who ultimately try to harm them) the same way Reagan thinks the demon is her friend.
Perhaps! I think all the animals signify the make-up of Pazuzu for sure.
I also feel like there is _a lot going on_ .... when looking at that wall (17:34), and with the rest of her room.
At least one more thing you didn't take into account, Rob: Yellow, Blue and Red. If you watch the movie again with these 3 colours in mind you will realise they are consistently present along the entire movie (wardrobe, walls, vehicles, props... EVERYWHERE). This is of course, no coincidence. These 3 colours have a powerful esoteric meaning which you can trace back to Alchemy. This connection is ratified by the Sun and Moon symbolism you mention at the beginning and that appears on the ouija board. These two symbols are present in every alchemical illustration, meaning duality or opposing forces: light/darkness, male/female, good/evil, above/bellow.... The poster you mention in min 36.15 of your video could possibly be as well an alchemical illustration. The 2 lions in front of it, by the way, represent in my opinion the guardian lions you find on either sides to the entrance of every temple of almost every religion in history, past and present (buddhist, babylonian, summerian, hindu, shintois,, etc), protectors of a sacred realm.
The kids fighting at the hospital echoes the two dogs fighting next to the Pazuzu's status, symbolizing the start of the possession and evil's presence
I always wanted an extended version of the Iraq sequence. Also, Pazuz's presence is felt throughout the opening because I think he is casually slinking from host to host. He's a big fan of possession after all. I really like your interpretation of the bowing scene, I've always felt it was more akin to an affront to God, similar to displaying a cross upside down. Great vid. 👍
another reference to "Pazuzu" in Regan's drawings with the winged lion, in Sumerian mythology a winged lion is a guardian, I believe the Ishtar gate has figures carved of winged lions with human heads
Almost dude. It's not a lion, it's a bull. Von Daniken has ruined this part of history.
Very enjoyable analysis. I adore the opening sequence of this film and I appreciate your work dissecting it. All of your videos are top notch.
agreed no other horror movie can compare
Very good analysis! I get a slightly different "feel" from the opening Iraq sequence. The overall atmosphere conveyed is that of man and humanities fragility. Disease (pills, blindness), frailty (old age, ruins), violence/brutality (searing sun, smiths, noises, dogs, armed guards), loneliness (camera angels, relation with the crowds) and the brevity of life (dust, ruins, old age).
This is contrasted with the everlasting, ever present and far superior (to man) demons/spirit world.
Friedkins Iraq shots & extras were excellent. The opening vocalizations “Alah Akbar!” A singing prayer to God.. then the shot of The Fiery Red Solar God, invokes Pazuzu. This illustrates so much to internal impact, especially in context to how Americans, in the late 70’s early 80’s viewed the Middle East-Iraq, Iran the Arab Emirates.
One of my all time favourites of Ager's film analysis, The Exorcist feels even more scary after watching this video, I always come back to this one in particular.