“I go to church every now and then. What I see in my line of work… faith’s a little hard I sustain.”
John Hobbes-Fallen
The original Exorcist is a film that, after all these years, still scares the crap out of me. William Friedkin is a master at manipulating his audience and making us feel the film’s tension in our bones. The sequel with Linda Blair is terrible, but I’ve read so many great things about Exorcist III I had to add it to my list.
Exorcist III was written and directed by William Peter Blatty. He wrote the first film and the novel the movie was based on. Blatty is talented, and his direction stands out. The Exorcist III is a strange piece of cinema because it relies heavily on the unseen. The story follows George C. Scott as Lieutenant William F. Kinderman. He’s trying to solve a murder that resembles a dead serial killer’s MO. Almost all the murders happen offscreen, and there is little gore until the third act.
Scott’s performance as Kinderman is outstanding. He must balance the character’s unbelief with his desire to find the truth. That’s truly the essence of the film. Sometimes, the truth isn’t what we want or expect. Scott’s character is forced to admit this to defeat the evil he faces. Brad Dourif is also excellent as The Gemini Killer. There’s just something about Dourif that allows him to play evil in such an unassuming way.
My biggest gripe with this film is the pacing. As I mentioned, many things happen offscreen, leaving us with colossal dialogue dumps to fill us in. We experience multiple banal conversations about procedure and religion. It’s not that those are interesting, but in the context of the film, it often causes everything to screech to a halt.
Pacing issues aside, William Peter Blatty is a craftsman. His dialogue is written like a novelist, both to the good and detriment of the film. He also has a deft eye for direction. This film has one of the best shot and scariest scenes in the entire history of horror. Trust me, you’ll know it when you see it! Blatty should have directed more films because the talent is there. Exorcist III isn’t a perfect film, but it’s scary, intense, and well-crafted.
Rating: 7/10
