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''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror-drama film directed by William Friedkin, adapted by William Peter Blatty from his 1971 novel of the same name. The book, inspired by the 1949 exorcism of Roland Doe, deals with the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl and her mother's attempts to win back her child through an exorcism conducted by two priests. The adaption is relatively faithful to the book, which itself has been commercially successful (hitting the ''New York Times'' bestseller list).〔 The film experienced a troubled production; even in the beginning, several prestigious film directors including Stanley Kubrick and Arthur Penn turned it down. Incidents, such as the toddler son of one of the main actors being hit by a motorbike and hospitalized, attracted claims that the set was 'cursed'. The complex special effects used as well as the nature of the film locations also presented severe challenges, such as the on-site film-making in Iraq leading to chronic illnesses among the crew as they dealt with 130 °F weather.〔 The film's notable psychological themes include the nature of faith in the midst of doubt as well as the boundaries of maternal love as a mother has to do whatever she can to save her child.〔 The movie features performances from Linda Blair, Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, Max von Sydow, and (in voice only) Mercedes McCambridge. Director William Friedkin came on board given the acclaim of his previous film, ''The French Connection''.〔 ''The Exorcist'' was released theatrically in the United States by Warner Bros. on December 26, 1973. Though booked at first in only twenty-six theaters across the U.S., it soon became a major commercial success. The film earned ten Academy Award nominations, winning two (Best Sound Mixing and Best Adapted Screenplay). It became one of the highest-grossing films of all time, grossing over $441 million worldwide in the aftermath of various re-releases, and was the first horror film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.〔 ''The Exorcist'' is notably one of a cycle of "demonic child" films produced from the late-1960s to the mid-1970s, including ''Rosemary's Baby'' and ''The Omen''. The film has had a significant influence on popular culture. Later figures in horror such as Stephen King have praised the work as an influence.〔 Several publications have regarded it one of the best horror films in history.〔 For example, it was named the scariest film of all time by ''Entertainment Weekly'' in 1999, by ''Movies.com'' in 2010, by viewers of AMC in 2006, and by the editors of Time Out in 2014. In addition, a scene from the film was ranked #3 on Bravo's ''The 100 Scariest Movie Moments''. In 2010, the Library of Congress selected the film to be preserved as part of its National Film Registry.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title='Empire Strikes Back' among 25 film registry picks )〕 == Plot == Lankester Merrin is a veteran Catholic priest who is on an archeological dig in Iraq. There he finds an amulet which resembles the statue of Pazuzu, a demon who Merrin defeated years ago. Merrin then realizes the demon has returned to seek revenge. Meanwhile, in Georgetown, actress Chris MacNeil is living on location with her pre-teen daughter Regan (Linda Blair). After playing with a Ouija board Regan begins acting strangely including making mysterious noises, using constant bad language and exhibiting abnormal strength. Regan also causes her bed to shake, much to her and Chris's horror. In response, her mother consults several physicians but despite undergoing a series of diagnostic tests, Dr. Klein and his associates find nothing medically wrong with her. One night Regan kills Chris's director, Burke Dennings. His murder is investigated by Lieutenant William Kinderman, who interviews Chris as well as priest and psychiatrist Father Damien Karras, who has lost faith in God after his frail mother died. After the doctors decide that an exorcism may be the only way to help Regan, Chris arranges a meeting with Karras. Karras at first refuses to get permission to perform an exorcism, despite Regan now being completely possessed by the demon. After getting a recording of her talking in reverse and seeing the words "Help Me" on her stomach Karras decides to perform an exorcism. Merrin is selected to do so instead, but Karras is present to assist. In Regan's bedroom both men try to exorcise the demon but a stubborn Pazuzu toys with them, especially Karras, including insulting his late mother. After a break and hint of faltering, Karras is dismissed. Merrin attempts the exorcism alone. Karras enters the room and discovers Merrin has died and confronts the mocking, laughing spirit of Pazuzu. At Karras' plea, Pazuzu then possesses Karras, leaving Regan's body. In a moment of self-sacrifice, the priest throws himself out of the window before Pazuzu can compel him to harm Regan, and is severely injured. A few days later Regan, who is now back to her normal self, returns home to Los Angeles with her mother. Kinderman, who narrowly misses them, befriends Father Dyer, an old friend of Karras, as he investigates how Karras died. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Exorcist (film)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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