The Exorcist III: Horror in Framing

Hello again! Going with somewhat of a theme (I have a bit of an affinity for the creepy and relatively unknown), we're going to talk about what I believe to be the most underrated horror film of all time, The Exorcist III. I urge you to watch the full film before reading the rest of this post, it truly is horrifying in a literary sense, which I believe to be the best kind of horror. Minor spoilers ahead.

Now, if you're at all familiar with the original The Exorcist, you'll know that there are not films for the light of heart (or light of stomach). These films (there are three in total, but lets forget about the the second one) focus on not only creepy dialogue and the uncomfortable subject matter of demons and possession, but it also focuses on making the audience uncomfortable visually without the use of special effects.

Now, this is extremely difficult to do, but William Peter Blatty (who also wrote the original novel) masterfully uses different shots to create discomfort in the minds of viewers, with the most apparent being the shot below:

Welcome to those who were scrolling by and stopped after seeing this creepy stuff!

Take a look at the shot. What do you think the character is saying? Is the character most likely a protagonist or an antagonist? Is this smile genuine, or is it wicked?

While I listed these questions as more of an exercise, the answers are quite obvious. In this shot, the main antagonist (the Gemini Killer) is describing specifically what he enjoys about murder, and the sadism he feels through it. The use of the extreme-close up shot is used explicitly to continue encouraging an uncomfortable and unsafe feeling. With this shot, the Gemini Killer holds a complete monopoly over the frame, and your eyes. This demonstrates the genius of Blatty's horrific camerawork (horrific meaning good, of course).

The second shot comes from the climax of the film:

Again, another shot in the film that just leaves you sitting there wondering what the heck is going on! Here, we see Damien nailed to a cross as he is ascending from below the ground, surrounded by extras who are reaching above. Just a super creepy setting. Here, Blatty utilizes the high-angle shot to (as many directors do) display the character in the shot (in this case, the tormented Damien), in a position of vulnerability. Clearly, this shot was planned ahead of time to account for the extras reaching out from below the ground. As if one needed to feel any more vulnerable, this does it and just keeps going. A masterclass in subtle horror.

The framing and specific camerashots in Blatty's The Exorcist III are perhaps the most impressive thing about the film, right next to the masterful acting job of Brad Dourif, who gives perhaps the creepiest, mot bought-in performance in all of horror next to Anthony Perkins' Norman Bates.

Again, if you haven't already, go watch The Exorcist III, especially if you are a fan of the horror genre. While I'm often cautious of sequel spawning franchises that begin with a film that never needed a sequel to begin with, the third installment of the franchise is well worth a watch for the camerawork alone.

See ya next time! We'll try not to pick something too eerie next time! :)