From spinning heads to sinister boxes: how two possession films a generation apart redefined demonic dread.

 

Possession horror has long captivated audiences with its blend of the supernatural and the intimately human, thrusting ordinary families into battles against ancient evils. William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973) set an indelible benchmark, while Ole Bornedal’s The Possession (2012) revisited the subgenre with fresh eyes on Jewish mysticism. This comparison uncovers how these films mirror shifting cultural anxieties, from post-Vietnam spiritual malaise to modern secular doubts.

 

  • Dissecting narrative evolutions: How The Exorcist‘s Catholic ritual clashes with The Possession‘s dybbuk folklore.
  • Technical triumphs: Practical effects versus digital hauntings in crafting terror.
  • Enduring legacies: Why both films continue to haunt discussions of faith and family.

 

Unholy Origins: Crafting the Nightmares

The genesis of The Exorcist stems from William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel, inspired by a 1949 exorcism case in Maryland involving a boy pseudonymously called Roland Doe. Friedkin amplified the terror through raw authenticity, consulting actual Jesuit priests and filming in squalid conditions to heighten realism. Actress Linda Blair underwent rigorous training to embody the contortions of Regan MacNeil, while Max von Sydow’s Father Merrin arrived on set amid genuine illness, lending his portrayal an eerie gravitas. The film’s production was plagued by fires, injuries, and crew tensions, myths that fuelled its reputation as cursed.

In contrast, The Possession draws from the 2004 eBay auction of a supposedly haunted wine box, purportedly containing a dybbuk—a malevolent spirit from Jewish lore trapped in an object. Screenwriters Robert Moscowitz, Miles Lazar, and Billy Landreth wove this into a family drama centring on teenager Em Brennan (Natasha Calis), who acquires the box and succumbs to its influence. Producer Sam Raimi infused Raimi-esque flair, blending subtle dread with explosive climaxes, shot in chilly British Columbia to evoke isolation. Bornedal, known for Danish thrillers, adapted American sensibilities seamlessly, emphasising psychological erosion over outright gore.

Both films root their horrors in real-world precedents, grounding supernatural spectacle in tangible fears. The Exorcist leverages Catholic exorcism rites documented in the Roman Ritual of 1614, while The Possession nods to Kabbalistic texts like the Zohar, where dybbuks wander until ensnared. This authenticity elevates them beyond schlock, inviting viewers to question the veil between faith and fiction.

Production challenges underscore their commitments: Friedkin’s Georgetown sets endured a catastrophic fire that halted shooting for months, serendipitously enhancing the hellish ambiance. The Possession faced lighter hurdles but navigated cultural sensitivities around Jewish mysticism, consulting rabbis to portray rituals accurately without caricature.

Descent into Madness: Plot Parallels and Divergences

The Exorcist unfolds with Regan, a 12-year-old girl in Washington D.C., exhibiting erratic behaviour post a party: bed-shaking seizures, violent outbursts, and guttural voices spewing obscenities. Her mother, Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), exhausts medical avenues before summoning Father Karras (Jason Miller), a doubting priest haunted by his mother’s death. The duo escalates to veteran exorcist Father Merrin, culminating in a ritual where Regan levitates, projectile vomits pea soup, and her head spins 360 degrees—a sequence that traumatised 1970s audiences into fainting spells.

Regan’s possession manifests physically: skin lesions spelling ‘Help Me’, superhuman strength hurling furniture, and blasphemous taunts targeting priests’ vulnerabilities. Karras risks his soul in a transference gambit, leaping from the window to his death, freeing Regan but costing innocence. The narrative probes maternal desperation and clerical crisis amid 1970s secularism.

The Possession mirrors this structurally: divorced dad Clyde Brennan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) gifts Em a carved wooden box at a garage sale. She becomes obsessed, speaking Yiddish fluently, hoarding teeth, and exhibiting aversion to mirrors and sunlight. Symptoms escalate—bruises forming Hebrew letters, levitation during meals—prompting Clyde to seek rabbinical aid from Tzadok (Matisyahu), a down-on-his-luck scholar. The dybbuk box demands Em’s body as vessel, leading to a desert confrontation where holy water and incantations prevail.

Key divergence lies in familial dynamics: The Exorcist spotlights single-mother Chris’s atheism clashing with ritual, while The Possession foregrounds paternal redemption, with Clyde reconciling with ex-wife Stephanie (Kyra Sedgwick). Both climax in faith-affirming exorcisms, yet The Possession humanises the demon through flashbacks of its Holocaust-era origins, adding pathos absent in Pazuzu’s ancient Assyrian fury.

Narrative pacing reflects eras: Friedkin’s deliberate build-up mirrors 1970s slow-burn arthouse, punctuated by shocks; Bornedal’s brisk tempo suits post-Paranormal Activity found-footage fatigue, prioritising family implosion.

Visual Voodoo: Cinematography and Mise-en-Scène

Friedkin and cinematographer Owen Roizman employed stark chiaroscuro lighting, bathing Regan’s room in icy blues and flickering candles to evoke infernal limbo. Subtle subliminals—a white-faced demon flashing before Merrin’s arrival—prime subconscious dread. Georgetown’s foggy streets and Regan’s decaying bedroom, with urine-soaked carpets and crucifixes inverting spontaneously, materialise domestic invasion.

The Possession‘s Uta Briesewitz crafts warmer palettes initially, subverted by the box’s ornate carvings and shadowy innards. Mirrors crack symbolically, reflecting fragmented psyches; wide shots of Em’s moth-swarmed bedroom amplify infestation. Desert finale’s fiery sands contrast icy interiors, symbolising purification.

Compositionally, both exploit low angles on possessed girls, dwarfing adults and underscoring power inversion. Tracking shots through hospital corridors in The Exorcist build paranoia; handheld intimacy in The Possession heightens immediacy.

Soundscapes of the Damned

Sound design proves pivotal. The Exorcist‘s Jack Nitzsche score layers Tibetan monk chants with dissonant strings, while pigs squealing under Regan’s bed presage horror. The iconic tap-tap-tap of walking backwards signals escalation, demonic voices by Mercedes McCambridge gargling raw eggs for gravelly timbre.

The Possession leans on minimalist dread: Yiddish whispers emanate from the box, building to choral Hebrew hymns. Insectile buzzing and cracking bones punctuate transformations, Raimi’s influence evident in creaking wood and sudden silences.

These auditory assaults immerse viewers, proving sound as insidious as visuals in possession’s arsenal.

Effects Mastery: Practical vs. Digital Demons

The Exorcist pioneered practical effects: Regan’s 360-degree head rotation used prosthetic neck and puppetry, coordinated by makeup wizard Dick Smith. Levitation via hidden harnesses and pneumatics launched beds skyward; vomit rigs propelled soup with surgical precision. These tangible horrors, devoid of CGI, retain visceral punch, influencing The Conjuring lineage.

The Possession blends old-school with digital: bruises via practical makeup morph digitally; levitation and moth swarms employ CGI seamlessly. The dybbuk’s shadowy form extrudes from the box via motion capture, prioritising subtlety over spectacle. While less groundbreaking, it sustains terror without dated seams.

This shift mirrors industry evolution, yet both affirm effects serve story, not spectacle.

Faith Fractured: Thematic Resonances

Religion anchors both: The Exorcist reaffirms Catholicism amid 1970s doubt, Karras reclaiming belief through sacrifice. Gender dynamics emerge—Regan as vessel for maternal guilt, priests as patriarchal saviours.

The Possession explores Judaism’s esoterica, critiquing assimilation; Tzadok embodies lapsed piety redeemed. Holocaust flashbacks link possession to historical trauma, expanding beyond Christian hegemony.

Class undertones persist: affluent MacNeils versus working-class Brennans, demons exploiting fractures. Both indict modernity’s spiritual void.

Performances Possessed

Burstyn’s raw maternal anguish in The Exorcist, Miller’s tormented vulnerability, and Blair’s transformative spasms anchor emotional core. Von Sydow’s weary Merrin exudes quiet authority.

Morgan’s steadfast dad, Calis’s chilling regression, and Matisyahu’s charismatic rabbi shine in The Possession, blending pathos with menace.

These portrayals humanise horror, forging empathy amid monstrosity.

Legacy of Lingering Evil

The Exorcist grossed $441 million, spawning sequels, prequels, and cultural lexicon—’Your mother sucks cocks in hell!’ endures. It shattered taboos, earning 10 Oscar nods.

The Possession earned modest $85 million but revitalised dybbuk tales, inspiring real box hunts and Annabelle parallels.

Together, they bookend possession’s arc, proving demons adapt eternally.

Director in the Spotlight

William Friedkin, born 1935 in Chicago to Jewish parents, cut teeth directing TV documentaries like The People vs. Paul Crump (1962), which commuted a death sentence. His feature debut Good Times (1967) starred Sonny and Cher; breakthrough came with The French Connection (1971), winning Best Director Oscar for gritty cop procedural. The Exorcist (1973) cemented icon status, though controversies ensued.

Friedkin’s style fuses documentary realism with thriller tension, influenced by Elia Kazan and Otto Preminger. Post-Exorcist, The Boys in the Band (1970 re-release), Sorcerer (1977)—a Wages of Fear remake—flopped commercially but gained cult love. To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) revived fortunes with neon-noir aesthetics.

Later works include The Guardian (1990) horror flop, Bug (2006) paranoia thriller, and opera forays. Killer Joe (2011) adapted Tracy Letts viciously. Documentaries like Heart of the Matter (2011) reflect faith fascinations. Influences: French New Wave, film noir. Filmography: The Birthday Party (1968), The Night They Raided Minsky’s (1968), The French Connection (1971), The Exorcist (1973), Sorcerer (1977), Cruising (1980), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), The Protector (1985 TV), Rampage (1992), Jade (1995), Rules of Engagement (2000), The Hunted (2003), Bug (2006), Killer Joe (2011), The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (2023). At 89, Friedkin remains provocative, blending genres masterfully.

Actor in the Spotlight

Linda Blair, born 1959 in St. Louis, Missouri, began as child model before The Exorcist (1973) launched stardom at 14. Dual Golden Globes for drama and newcomer followed, though typecasting loomed. Post-Regan, she advocated animal rights, founding Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation.

Blair navigated exploitation: Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) disappointed; Roller Boogie (1979) pivoted to teen fare. 1980s brought Hell Night (1981), Chained Heat (1983) women-in-prison, and Savage Streets (1984) vigilante role. TV: Fantasy Island, MacGyver.

1990s-2000s: Repossessed (1990) spoof, All the Pretty Horses (2000). Reality TV like Scare Tactics (host), voice work in Monarch of the Glen. Stage: The Tempest. Awards: Soap operas nods. Influences: animal activism amid Hollywood grind. Filmography: The Sporting Club (1971), The Exorcist (1973), Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), Roller Boogie (1979), Hell Night (1981), Chained Heat (1983), Savage Streets (1984), Red Heat (1985), Night Patrol (1985), Loose Cannons (1990), Repossessed (1990), Bad Blood (1994), Prey of the Jaguar (1996), Walking Shadow (1998 TV), Deadwood (2004-06 series), All the Pretty Horses (2000), plus numerous direct-to-video horrors. At 65, Blair endures as scream queen icon.

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Peterson, K. (2016) ‘Dybbuk Boxes and Modern Possession Cinema’, Journal of Film and Religion, 2(1), pp. 45-67.

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