the demon’s face, were used repeatedly, not as subliminal images (they are
present long enough for the audience to take note), but to destabilize and
create unease. The director violated classical Hollywood narrative conven-
tions of space and time to cause viewer disorientation, utilizing abrupt
scene changes without fades to black and introducing new characters in
unexplained locations, via the absence of long or exterior shots to establish
spatial relationships. These formal practices, coupled with grotesque dese-
cration of the girl’s body, made quite an impact, particularly in the scene of
the exorcism. The special effects, created mechanically (without the use of
opticals), included people thrown about the room by the sheer will of the
demon, Regan vomiting thick green bile on Merrin, the girl’s bed violently
bucking in every direction, the plea “help me” raised on the skin of her
abdomen, and, most memorably, a 360-degree rotation of Regan’s horrifi-
cally scarred, grinning head. The effects were heightened by Robert Knud-
son and Christopher Newman’s award-winning, otherworldly sound
design, which included the growling, snarling vocal performance by Mer-
cedes McCambridge as the demon.
The public’s response to The Exorcist was extraordinary. The initial
release was to only twenty-six theaters in major metropolitan areas. Lines
in venues around the country reached several blocks as eager audiences
withstood harsh winter weather for a chance to see the film. In New York,
ticket scalpers charged prices as high as fifty dollars and ushers were offered
bribes for admittance. Some disgruntled people, frustrated by the long wait
in the sleet and freezing rain, resorted to violence after standing for hours
and being informed that tickets were sold out. The studio struck new
release prints as quickly as it could, and only a few weeks later the entire
nation was able to subject itself to what would be called “the scariest movie
of all time.” Even the original trailer was too terrifying for some, and was
banned from several theaters. As a film belonging to what Linda Williams
has termed a “body genre,” it is not surprising that many viewers reacted
physically. Yet in the case of this film, the reaction was more visceral than
for most horror films. It was not unusual for ambulances to be called and
paramedics requested to minister to fainting and hysterical theater patrons.
Vomiting was not uncommon. In San Francisco one patron charged the
screen, while in Boston audience members threw rosary beads. An increase
in psychological disorders, including traumatic neurosis and psychosis,
were attributed to exposure to the film (Heisler, Bozzuto). The film also
reinforced the construction of false memory. Some viewers developed
memories of possession, adopting the experiences of Regan as their own,
while others’ claims of possession emerged almost immediately (Heisler,
1973 — MOVIES AND THE LEGACIES OF WAR AND CORRUPTION 113