Questions while watching The Exorcist
The Exorcist is widely considered the greatest horror film ever made. Consequently there have
been many sequels and prequels, and several subsequent editions of the original movie have
been released with extra footage that was not in the original cut which appeared in the theaters
in 1973. For that reason, be careful not to watch a prequel or sequel by mistake. If possible, get
the re-release which came out in 2000, with eleven minutes of extra footage. It contains important dialogue between the two Jesuit priests.
WARNING: some scenes are extremely disturbing and contain terrible blasphemies. If you
are usually disturbed by horror films, or feel that you cannot watch such scenes in good conscience, please choose a different film for your paper.
The most important themes in this film (for the purposes our class) are discernment and the
spiritual obstacles we face in developing a closer relationship with God. Both themes are
prevalent in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
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The film begins at an archaeological dig in Iraq, directed by a Jesuit priest and archaeologist
named Lankester Merrin. He uncovers an ancient figurine of the demon Pazuzu, the same
demon that he had defeated during an exorcism in Africa years before.
The story then shifts to Washington, D.C., where Chris MacNeill, a Hollywood actress, rents a
home while filming a movie under the direction of her friend Burke Dennings. She lives with
her daughter Regan and her Swiss housekeepers. The movie is being filmed on the campus of
Georgetown University, the oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Fr. Damien Karras is
a Jesuit priest and renowned psychiatrist who teaches at Georgetown, and whose ministry often
includes counselling other Jesuits.
MacNeill is an atheist. Nevertheless she becomes convinced that Regan is possessed by
supernatural forces, and seeks Fr. Karras for assistance. Ironically, however, Fr. Karras has lost
his faith. He refuses to believe that the girl’s problem is anything more than psychological.
Unconvinced of the reality of possession, Karras nevertheless asks the bishop for permission to
perform an exorcism, hoping that the power of suggestion will cure Regan. The bishop permits
it, but to Karras’ surprise, the bishop (with the advice of the Jesuit provincial) orders Fr. Merrin
to be the principal exorcist. We thus see a clash between two different Jesuits, the “rational” Fr.
Karras and the “devout” Fr. Merrin.
Points to Note and Questions to Ponder
1. When Fr. Merrin discovers the figurine of Pazuzu, how does he interpret this coincidence?
What evidence can you give for your answer?
2. In the experience of Catholic exorcists, it is generally believed that possession does not
usually occur in people who are emotionally healthy or who do nothing to provoke or “invite”
demonic entities into their lives. Rather, evil seeks those who are already weak or vulnerable or
who have invited it in some way. Is there any evidence in the film that Regan’s possession was
not “out of the blue”? What emotional distress or unusual activities are seen in the film which
might have made Regan vulnerable?
3. What are the various physical and psychological possibilities that the doctors consider before
they turn to exorcism as a last resort? Why did all these possibilities seem so unlikely to Chris
MacNeill? How did her perspective as a mother affect her own diagnosis of Regan’s problem,
even despite her atheism!
4. Why did Fr. Karras lose his faith? Several possibilities are suggested in the film: one concerning his mother, one concerning his background in medical science, and one concerning the
nature of his counselling work with other Jesuits. (About the last: when this film was made in
the early 1970s, an extremely large number of men were leaving the priesthood due to dramatic
changes in the Catholic Church and American society. It was a very traumatic period in the life
of the church. Bear this in mind when you listen to the conversation between Fr. Karras and his
Jesuit superior in the bar.) Explain these influences on Karras’ spiritual struggles.
5. The demon knows that Fr. Karras has a crisis of faith. What does the demon say to play into
those doubts? How does the demon manipulate him? On the other hand, what does the demon
say and do to give Karras reason to believe that the possession is real? How do the demon’s
methods reflect what Fr. Merrin says near the end of the film, when he warns Fr. Karras to
avoid conversations with the demon?
6. We see sad scenes of human suffering apart from Regan, notably the mental patients where
Mrs. Karras was placed, and the homeless man in the subway. We also see Regan in scenes
involving blood and vomit and urine, which serve to remind us that we are, at one level, simply
animals. In all these scenes we see humanity as something hard to love, and where it is difficult
to see the dignity of human beings. How does this play into a conversation between Fr. Merrin
and Fr. Karras while they are sitting in the stairway during a break in the exorcism? (NOTE:
This conversation is found only in the 2002 re-release with extra footage.)
7. What question does Chris MacNeil ask Fr. Karras during the exorcism that seems to bolster
Karras’ flagging strength? In that moment, does he seem to recover his faith? Do you have any
idea why that particular question would affect him so?
8. At the end of the film, Regan kisses the collar of Fr. Dyer, even though she does not remember anything about the exorcism. This was a homage to Graham Greene’s novel The Power and
the Glory, in which a Mexican girl saw how an alcoholic, profligate priest still managed to give
his life for the faith with the grace of God, and thus edified the Mexican people more than many
“decent” priests could have. At the end of the novel, the girl kissed the collar of the next priest
who came to town. Similarly, in The Exorcist, how might it be said that “where sin abounds,
grace abounds all the more”?
Interesting note: two of the Jesuits in the film were real Jesuits: Fr. Dyer (the friend of Fr.
Karras who plays the piano at Chris MacNeill’s party) and the elderly priest who places the
flowers in the Georgetown chapel. Fr. Dyer was portrayed by Fr. William O’Malley, who
currently teaches theology and acting at Fordham High School in New York. He also wrote the
book The Fifth Week for men who were thinking about joining the Jesuits. We use excerpts
from this book in our class.