The Exorcist is one of the most classic, fan-favorite horror movies, and also one that has faced a lot of controversies. Since the movie is about religion and the exorcism of a 12-year-old girl named Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), it's easy to assume that the Catholic Church wasn't thrilled about it at the time. People often talk about how audiences saw The Exorcist in the theater and had to leave because they were too scared, and there are many stories of people fainting and becoming physically ill.
While there was definitely a lot of attention given to William Friedkin's movie when it was released in 1973, the story of the movie's marketing and response is actually more nuanced.
The Catholic Church's Thoughts on The Exorcist
The Exorcist is a perfect horror movie because it's genuinely scary, well-made, and has a strong place in horror history. It's tough to think about the film without reflecting on how the Catholic Church felt about it, given the religious subject.
The scientific paper "Somewhere between science and superstition’: Religious outrage, horrific science, and The Exorcist (1973)," which was published in Volume 34 Issue 5, of History of the Human Sciences in 2021, shared what the Catholic Church really thought about The Exorcist. According to the paper, which is available online, the media said that The Exorcist Catholic Church response did include some negativity as they weren't thrilled with the story. However, as this paper explained, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office of Film and Broadcasting said the film was "unsuitable for a wide audience," but the general feeling was that it was a "positive response to the power of faith."
It's also true that the Catholic Church was involved in the making of the movie. Father Henle, the president of Georgetown, gave Friedkin some information about the real case of a 13-year-old boy getting an exorcism, which happened in 1949. According to Entertainment Weekly, Friedkin said, "Most of the people at the highest levels of the church accepted it totally because the Roman Ritual of Exorcism is still in the New Testament."
Warner Bros. Wanted Outrage
The Exorcist changed the horror genre and one of the most famous aspects of the movie's history is stories of people throwing up and fainting while watching it in theaters. According to Yahoo, there is video footage of people watching a screening and sharing that they find the movie terrifying, with one saying they didn't want their friend to watch the movie by themselves.
However, the History of Human Sciences paper shared that the studio wanted it to seem like the Catholic Church was upset with the movie because that made it more appealing and exciting to audiences. The summary of the paper reads, "Reports of Catholic outrage were a means of promoting The Exorcist rather than an accurate reflection of the Catholic Church’s nuanced response to the film and its scientific and religious content."
The Exorcist will always be one of the best 1970s horror movies and there was definitely a lot of buzz around it when it was released, as audiences heard about people having a hard time watching it and that made them even more interested. But, as the paper continued, the news articles surrounding The Exorcist contrasted what Fredklin wanted, which was for the movie to feel accurate. He spoke to many doctors and the Catholic Church while working on the movie.
The paper continued, "Warner Bros. Were delighted by the stories of religious outrage, as they correlated the news coverage with boosted sales – with internal memos remarking that the best thing that could happen would be a public condemnation from the Pope."
The Movie's Medical Scenes Were Hard To Take
The scientific paper also notes that people had trouble watching The Exorcist because the medical scenes were accurate and there were sound effects. Audiences had negative reactions to the movie not because of mentions of the devil or the story of demonic possession but because a young girl was in a scary situation. Friedkin made sure that his research was complete and detailed, and this was particularly true when Reagan goes to the Barringer Clinic and is checked out. He looked up neuroimaging and even talked to doctors at New York City hospitals known for psychosurgery and brain X-rays. This paid off, but audiences found it a little bit too real.
The Exorcist will always be a timeless 1970s horror movie for many reasons, including how realistic it feels when doctors look into Reagan's condition and try to see if there is a medical reason for her experiences. It's easy to sympathize with Reagan and her mother Chris (Ellen Burstyn) and know that this would be a terrible ordeal for any family.