William Friedkin was a filmmaker closely identified with the 1970s New Hollywood movement. An Oscar-winning talent, he recently passed away on August 7th, 2023. He was aged 87. Following his demise, the world reflected on his contributions to the film and television industry. Most notable of which was 1973’s The Exorcist. The film’s impact on the horror genre is felt even today.
The release of the Friedkin-helmed supernatural horror premise birthed a pop culture phenomenon. It may have drawn mixed reviews from critics, but crowds were horrified (the end goal of any horror film) and lined up for tickets even in bitterly chilly temperatures. The movie emerged as a Hollywood blockbuster. But how did it all come to be? Was it a result of the director’s sheer willpower or merely a matter of fate?
The filmmaker believed it to be the latter.
How The Exorcist (1973) Changed The Landscape Of Horror Films
The film’s release and its subsequent acclaim solidified the legitimacy of horror cinema. It established the phenomenon of large quantities of money being allocated to horror productions and permitted well-known actors to be connected with these concepts. Previously, these celebrities avoided the genre. William Friedkin‘s efforts to adapt the 1971 novel of the same name proved profitable. Despite various controversies surrounding the production, the film has come to be recognized as a classic.
The audience’s reactions at the moment of the movie’s screening were especially noteworthy since it became a widely publicized affair. People were said to have fainted, vomited, screamed, fled the cinemas, and so on. One woman in New York was alleged to have miscarried during a screening! As a result, some theatres arranged for ambulances to be on call. Despite this, thousands would converge to witness the horrifying spectacle. Even in the brutal, biting weather, long queues would form.
Read also: Guillermo del Toro Reveals Heartwarming Story of ‘The Exorcist’ Director William Friedkin
The Exorcist amassed $428.2 million at the worldwide box office. The film held an unbeaten record for the highest-grossing R-rated horror film until it was surpassed by It. The endeavor spawned multiple sequels and established itself as a movie that will never be forgotten.
You might call it dumb luck or a byproduct of instinct and hard work, but William Friedkin thought it was fate.
William Friedkin Accidentally Discovered The Exorcist
In an old interview (via jeffsabu), Friedkin was questioned about his aptitude for picking unconventional scripts. The interviewer asked if he sought them out or if they came to him. To this, the Killer Joe alum had the following to say:
“Everything happens by osmosis in terms of fate. We control our own destinies, I think, only up to a point. Overall, I believe fate controls our destinies.”
He then went into detail on how he got into the television and movie business in the first place. According to the filmmaker, when applying for a job, he ended up in the “wrong place at the right time.” Friedkin’s intended job was in a different building from the one he entered. He ended up working at a television station’s mailroom. He rose through the ranks to become a live TV director.
The great director then described how he discovered the novel that would transform his life:
“Whenever you start actively looking for something, it doesn’t usually come. It’s when you just let it happen. As a matter of fact, The Exorcist novel, I read by accident. Well, I stole the book off of my lawyer’s shelf. […] I stole it and I read it and it moved me profoundly.”
This unintentional occurrence spawned a phenomenon that film historians would revisit multiple times. The Exorcist is still regarded as a seminal work in the horror genre. Much of what we see on the big screen now, much of what frightens us, is influenced by the 1973 picture. We owe this, of course, to William Friedkin and writer William Peter Blatty.
The Exorcist (1973) is available for streaming on Max.
Source: YouTube
