Director
William Friedkin
Leading Actors/Actresses
Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blaie
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Lee J. Kobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran
Genre
Horror
Language
English, Latin, Greek, Kurdish Arabic, German, French
Awards
Two Academy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards.
Date of Release
26th December 1973 (USA)
Producer
William Peter Blatty
Setting and Context
Georgetown, 1973
Narrator and Point of View
Omniscient point of view, switching between characters.
Tone and Mood
Frightening, tragic, scary
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonists: The priests, Antagonist: Pazuzu the demon
Major Conflict
The demon Pazuzu possesses Regan.
Climax
The exorcism at the ending, where both the priests die taking Pazuzu with them to the grave.
Foreshadowing
The demon is foreshadowed by the first scene in which the priests first finds Pazuzu.
Understatement
The doctors state that Regan is "healthy", which understates the seriousness of the issue.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
Lighting is often used to dim the mood, while the gross parts are highlighted. Various contrasts between light and dark, as well as filming from high and low are also used as a scare-factor.
Allusions
There are many allusions to the bible throughout the movie. In the beginning Pazuzu is connected to the Babylonians, the original inhabitants of Iraq. In the Bible, the Babylonians are also mentioned with idols.
The cross is also used frequently, which obviously has a connection to christianity and Jesus. Jesus is the man that sets the people free, and is also used under the exorcism.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
There is a clear parallel line drawn between the first scene in which the priest sees the idol of Pazuzu and Pazuzu in "today's" world.
