I heard a prank gone awry once. Two men were sitting on a plane next to each other. One man was reading the William Peter Blatty novel, The Exorcist. To truly grasp the humor of this prank, you should know the story that both the book and the movie depict. Both stories depict a twelve-year-old girl becoming possessed by a demon and the subsequent journey of divorcing the two. The man who was going through the journey of reading the Blatty book threw it down dramatically when the demonic element was introduced. The man who was sitting next to him asked what was wrong. When the man explained the possession of the young girl and the unpleasant behavior that followed, he told the man the book itself was evil. 

When the two men reached their destination, the man who was reading the book stopped by the nearest bridge to toss his copy into the local river. When his seatmate saw this he hatched an idea. Fortunately, both men were staying in the same place and, in fact, in the same hotel room. Much like the Grinch, he hatched an idea that drew a devilish smile to his face. The man went out to his local bookstore and bought a copy of Blatty’s book. He then proceeded to drown the book in water. From there, he waited until the book dried. When it had, this new copy of the book had found a new home on the nightstand of the man who had tossed the book. 

Over the years, The Exorcist has garnered praise for its writing, score, acting and more. It has very much stood the test of time. It has grown to become one of the horror genre’s cornerstone pieces that every horror fan has to see. In the documentary, Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist, the director of the film sits down for an intimate look into the process of making the movie. I have to preface this - this movie will not be for everyone. Casual movie fans will find this film boring and dull. However, fans of the medium and specifically The Exorcist can expect to find an extraordinarily detailed journey into one of the most beloved movies ever made. Friedkin discusses everything from his cinematic influences on certain shots, historical cinema and more. Some of this is fascinating to learn. 

Traditionally when we think of The Exorcist, it’s thought of as a horror film. Friedkin largely pulls from movies most would consider American classics. Perhaps one of the most interesting accounts that is discussed within the movie is the journey to find the now-iconic score. Friedkin had booked one of his favorite composers originally for this movie. In the film, he actually calls him “the greatest composer of all time”. But the creative relationship was hostile as differences set in and Friedkin found himself back on the hunt. It would ultimately take two more composers before he would settle upon a range of composers including the now iconic main theme from Mike Oldfield. 

This intimate documentary is worth the investment for any true cinephile. I would even argue to add horror fans into that category as well. Leap of Faith chronicles the creative process to one of the scariest movies ever released with ease. I highly recommend this movie. 

RORSCHACH RATING:

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Victims and Villains is written Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey (and produced by) and more. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist is property of Shudder. We do not own nor claim any rights. Leap of Faith is streaming exclusively on Shudder beginning November 19th, 2020.

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