NZIFF Film Review: "Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist" (2019).

From the director of Memory: The Origins of Alien comes Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist. This documentary film directed by Alexandre O. Philippe. The film is a lyrical and spiritual cinematic essay on The Exorcist, it explores the uncharted depths of William Friedkin’s mind’s eye, the nuances of his filmmaking process, and the mysteries of faith and fate that have shaped his life and filmography.

On December 26, 1973, the supernatural horror film was unleashed to audiences and went on to gross $441.3 million (adjusted for inflation). The film was directed by Friedkin and produced and adapted by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel of the same name. The film stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran (in his final film role), Jason Miller, and Linda Blair. The film follows the demonic possession of a twelve-year-old girl and her mother's attempt to rescue her through an exorcism conducted by two priests. Although the book had been a bestseller, Blatty, his choice for director, had difficulty casting the film. After turning down, or being turned down, by major stars of the era, they cast in the lead roles the relatively little-known Burstyn, the unknown Blair, and Miller, the author of a hit play who had never acted in movies before, casting choices that were vigorously opposed by Warner Bros. executives. Principal photography was also difficult. Most of the set burned down, and Blair and Burstyn suffered long-term injuries in accidents. Ultimately the film took twice as long to shoot as scheduled and cost more than twice its initial budget. The film was released in twenty-four theaters throughout the United States and Canada. Audiences flocked to it. Some viewers had adverse physical reactions, often fainting or vomiting. There were reports of heart attacks and miscarriages; a psychiatric journal carried a paper on "cinematic neurosis" triggered by the film. Many children were taken to see the film, leading to charges that the MPAA ratings board had accommodated Warner Bros. by giving the film an R-rating instead of the X they thought it deserved in order to ensure its commercial success. The cultural conversation around the film, which also encompassed its treatment of Roman Catholicism, helped it become the first horror film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, one of ten Academy Awards it was nominated for, winning for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound Mixing. The Exorcist has had a significant influence on popular culture and has received critical acclaim, with several publications having regarded it as one of the greatest horror films of all time. In 2010, the Library of Congress selected the film to be preserved as part of its National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Amid the steady outpouring of Exorcistmania, the 105-minute-long Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist may be the least exotic, but it still gives any Exorcist fan a heady share of morsels to chew on.

Simon says Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist receives:

Also, see my NZIFF review for Martin Eden.