Further Exploration of The Exorcist

The first words of "The Exorcist," a novel written by William Peter Blatty, are:

"Even in the deepest slumber, she was aware of the footsteps."

I've written often about the movie which was released 50 years ago including the legendary drunken reaction of one of my buddies passed out in the lobby during and after the premier showing in Rochester while destroying a double blind date. The movie closely followed the storyline of the novel and became a major success, earning critical acclaim and becoming one of the highest-grossing films of its time.

In film and teevee, the demon keeps returning each time with less power. The original is still the greatest. The old joke remains. What happens if you don't pay the exorcist?

You get repossessed.

But seriously folks, unresolved issues continue to leave important questions still unresolved and open for interpretation. Here are a few essential questions that remain to this day and are still debated debated by Exoricist fans.

Is Pazuzu the devil the devil?

I don't think so. Pazuzu is a demon. This begs the question "what's the relationship between a demon and the devil?

In traditional Western Christian theology, a demon is generally considered a malevolent supernatural being, often depicted as an agent or servant of the devil. The devil, also known as Satan, is typically regarded as the chief of all evil spirits or fallen angels. The relationship between demons and the devil is understood as one of hierarchy, with the devil being the ultimate source of malevolence and demons serving under his command.

Demons are believed to be rebellious angels who followed Satan in his defiance against God. As a result, they were cast out of heaven and condemned to an existence of opposition to divine order. The devil, as the leader of this rebellion, is seen as the epitome of evil and the instigator of demonic activities.

While demons are considered subservient to the devil, they are often depicted as having distinct personalities and characteristics. In various religious and mythological traditions, demons may be associated with specific sins, temptations, or malevolent actions. Some may act as tricksters, while others are believed to be responsible for causing illness, possession, or other forms of spiritual harm.

After Karras leaps/is thrown through the window. Where does the demon go? Did it move on to another host or was it destroyed due to the sacrifice of Karras? Judging from the amount of films and books that have been created over the past 50 years, pretty sure the demon survived and has inhabited many hosts (or are all of the subsequent possessions by different demons or are all demons the same, pawns sent by Satan to do some comparatively trivial dirty work.

Satan has a lot of work to do and delegates.

Why did it take so long to possess Regan and only a split second to possess Karras? Did the demon possess Karras at all or just throw him out the window, killing him as it had killed others before Karras? Was Karras the target all along based on his guilty struggles to maintain his faith. Was he an easier target than the little girl and were her struggles merely a means to attract Karras? Are demons attracted by guilt or do demons themselves initiate feelings of guilt that produce vulnerability? Are they the "voice" that murderers often claiming to hear and be guided by? Do thyey exist in the "spirits" that we call alcohol? If not why do we call alcohol spirit? Now I'm not saying that alcohole causes all guilt or violence but damn, it seems to cause a lot of it.

The exorcist pretty much takes alcohol out of the picture except perhaps for Regan's Mom and Burke Dennings.

Let's give beer a break on this one. Matter of fact, gimme another beer. Take that Pazuzu.

Back to the joke.

Why didn't the demon repossess Regan or was the death of Karras the full payment?

The demon in the film enters Karras when Karras is pissed off and says, "come into me" after attempting to punch the demon out of the little girl. If all it took was for Karras to invite the demon into his body were the words "come into me" why didn't they do that in the first place instead of all the rituals and spiritual struggles.

I like to think that Karras sacrificed himself and in so doing destroyed the demon. It's the simple answer that most people prefer. Good versus evil. Good wins. Notch it up on the scoreboard.

Fifty years ago and today.