It is no secret to those who know me that The Exorcist is one of my all time favorite movies. SO you know I’d be over the moon to join in on Hit Me With Your Best Shot. But to tell you the truth, this was such a difficult one to do! As much as I love this movie, it’s not a consistently remarkable visual horror film in the way that a movie like Suspiria is. Friedkin crafts such a tight narrative that the ordinary choices he makes pale in comparison to the insanity that hits when Regan’s possession really kicks into gear. That’s not to say that the film isn’t visual, as there are clearly plenty of icons shots. I’m sure everyone will remember the startling makeup and special effects, as well as the shot from the poster. It’s just that to me The Exorcist is much more of an experience than a film to be devoured for it’s looks. Even seeing the film years after it’s premiere, it grips you in it’s psychosis and doesn’t let you go. So after struggling to find A SINGLE FRAME to sum up this great movie I chose this one:

This is such a beautifully composed shot. In a movie with so many shocking images, this frame is fantastic for it’s simplicity and the underlying message: as sure as the sun rises, you can find evil anywhere.

Runner Ups (aka me cheating to include my other favorite shots):

The random inserts of faces in this movie really added to the atmosphere…and scared me to death.
This shot almost won. Father Karras is arguably the main character of this film and in this single shot you can see the culmination of his battle with his faith as it’s made literal by the devil.
The next shots are presented without comment…because they don’t need one.
Classic. Look for The Exorcist to pop up again on the blog sometime soon 😉