Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist

Anyone that's ever watched 1973's "The Exorcist" knows clearly it's one of the best movies ever made and much has been said and discussed about it with thoughts, theories and influences. This latest "Shudder" exclusive doc filmed in 2019 is an excellent spot on a must see for any film historian buff or fan of the film! Interviews are given with director William Friedkin shown are clips and old behind the scenes film footage of the movie and other works and liked films of William. Plus he gives insights and revealing info that much of the public never knew the way he made the film and he even mentions his differences with writer William Peter Blatty. Also he mentions how other films, and culture influenced his making plus he talks of how fate and faith was all wrapped up in the outcome and success of the film. The art world and past radio works even helped influence the score of the film. Overall really packed with much info from William a must watch for any film or pop culture buff as it sheds light on one of the greatest movies ever made.

I caught this documentary on Shudder. Listening to William Friedkin is a true pleasure for any artist, filmmaker or not. I recommend this movie to anyone in the arts, as it's filled with insight from a master craftsman.

Basically nearly two hours of the director babbling about his inspirations... mostly artwork! Nothing really about the making except the parts about the demons voice which are very good. Nothing about the special effects. Zilch about Linda Blair really... very disappointed. BBC's Fear of God 25th Anniversary documentary is far superior.

This is a documentary that I decided to watch while working. I treat these like podcasts where I can watch the images on the screen when I have time. Mostly, I'm doing it to listen to something since I work in an office. This is streaming on Shudder where I checked it out. I'm a big fan of The Exorcist, so hearing the director, William Friedkin, talk about his masterpiece was intriguing to me.

Where I'll start is that is that this is a documentary who want to hear about the making of The Exorcist from the director's point of view. The synopsis on the Internet Movie Database is dead on, this is a lyrical and spiritual cinematic essay about the movie. He goes through the nuances of his filmmaking process and how things fell into place here during the making.

What I think impressed me the most was learning how he came to be the director of the project. His first talks are with the writer, William Peter Blatty, who also wrote the novel. I liked hearing the collaboration there to make the movie version work. It was interesting to see learn that Jason Miller wasn't originally cast as Father Karras, but Friedkin wanted him. How that ended up happening was crazy. Hearing these behind-the-scenes stories is a treat to fans.

I'll say this is a well-made documentary. The editing of footage from The Exorcist as well as other movies that were referenced are good. I also thought it was a treat to see scenes where Linda Blair's voice is coming from the possessed Regan before they found Mercedes McCambridge and her unique voice. We also get to hear scenes with a different musical score that makes it feel that much different was well.

This is one that I'd recommend to fans of The Exorcist. It gives you a different perspective on things and a deeper look at the making of this movie. If you're not familiar with this classic, I'd say to give that a watch first. It will deepen what you're seeing that much more.

My Rating: 8 out of 10.

A Masterclass in cinema, shot with care and beauty, edited masterfully and filled with emotional and visual grace notes. I always love what Alexandre creates, but this is a rare gift, a chance for us all to be in the room with Friedken to share this perfectly curated conversation. Every filmmaker should be required to watch this.