After the disastrous reception that greeted "Exorcist II: The Heretic," you would expect no further attempts to franchise "The Exorcist" brand name. Why not let a classic film stand on its' own? That was the general belief until original series creator William Peter Blatty had an idea. In the mid-eighties, Blatty thought a concept for an "Exorcist" sequel, revolving around Kinderman, the detective from the original story. Published as the novel "Legion," the box was a best seller. Naturally, Hollywood demanded a film adaptation, expanding the "Exorcist" series into a trilogy. After William Friedkin and John Carpenter passed on directing the film, Blatty himself took up the job. "The Exorcist III" had a troubled production and mediocre box office but has developed a cult following over the year.
"The Exorcist III" does not go for the bold shock value of the original film. Instead, it is more interested in creating a creeping sense of unease. The film begins with an extraordinary dream sequence, a point-of-view shot walking down a street, passing the first murder victim. The door of a church blows open, accompanied by diabolic cackling on the soundtrack, forcing the eyes of a crucifix open. The camera then crash-cuts to Karras rolling down the stairs. There are many moments of slow-building dread. A confession at a church begins calmly enough before escalating to screaming, murdered priest. Sometimes, the film punctuates these sequences with a strong jump scare. Kinderman wanders a dark, suddenly foreboding church. The face on a statue of a saint is suddenly replaced with a sadistic grin. Suddenly, a girl bumps into the detective, deflating the tension. The most famous moment, probably, in "Exorcist III" involves a long shot of a nurse doing her nightly duties which ends suddenly with a killer, clad in white and carrying a giant pair of sheers, entering to decapitate her. Moreover, the movie is just creepy, with a fabulously sinister sound design, frequently powered by unearthly growls. The image of an old woman scurrying across the ceiling or a sudden, near decapitation are startling, unnerving sights.
Centering "The Exorcist III" is a powerful performance from George C. Scott. Lee J. Cobb, who played Kinderman in the original movie, had passed away, forcing recasting. It's just as well because Scott's Kinderman is practically a different character. The whimsical Kinderman who digs information out of people with double-talk isn't seen much here. Instead, Kinderman has suffered many losses and will suffer more before this is over. Blatty retcons his own work a little. In "The Exorcist," Karras and Kinderman only knew each other a short while. In this film, the two are characterized as best friends. This change, however, allows the character to be far more invested in the story. George C. Scott gives a fantastic performance. His face is world-weary and his words are usually blustery. He's a man who has experienced a lot so, when he breaks down in tears at one point, you know it's serious. Scott gets two fabulous monologues to himself. The first describes his wife keeping a carp in their bathtub, a bizarre bit of quasi-comic dialogue only Blatty could have written. The second one is a powerful speech near the end of the film where Kinderman establishes his belief in evil. That is the true climax of the film and a great moment.
Much of "The Exorcist III" is devoted to Kinderman's discussion with the mysterious man in Cell 31. He is credited only as Patient X. A really interesting choice has two actors playing the part. Sometimes, Jason Miller plays the part, confirming the character as the revived corpse of Damian Karras. Other times, more frequently, Brad Dourif plays the madman. Dourif brings the strangled, coldly sadistic, slightly refined, and deeply unhinged style to the part that we expect from him. Even then, Dourif's voice constantly changes, rising and falling in pitch. The demon truly is legion, a multitude of wicked personalities always shifting around inside. The film's supporting cast is generally great. Ed Flanders has fine chemistry with Scott as the recast Father Dyer and Zohra Lampert and Nicol Williamson feel out the supporting case.
The original "Exorcist" was a story about faith and guilt. The third film continues in a similar pattern but with a slightly different approach. Kinderman's guilt comes from loosing dear friends, from the thought that he failed them. His faith has wavered because of how much evil he has seen. The gruesome details of the murders weigh heavily on him. The story revolves these issues through two ways. By acknowledging the existence of the demon, of supernatural evil, it justifies the existence of a higher power, of supernatural goodness. Secondly, Kinderman is able to literally resolve his friend's untimely passing. He has to confront Karras' death and viscerally move pass it at one time. The final image of "The Exorcist III" is the cop standing above his dear friend's grave, finally at rest. Though not as powerful as the themes addressed in the first film, the movie handles its own ideas with a similar complexity and skill.
"The Exorcist III" was originally an even more low-key production before Morgan Creek demanded reshoots. Specifically, they were convinced an "Exorcist" movie couldn't happen with an exorcism. So a new subplot, about a priest going to exorcise Patient X, was hastily added. The sequence also contains most of the gore and special effects seen in the film. They are mildly effective but obviously last minute additions. William Peter Blaty has expressed a desire to create a director's cut but Morgan Creek hasn't been interested in cooperating. Perhaps his vision of the film would be a smoother affair. Even in its theatrical cut, "The Exorcist III" is still a pretty good movie. It doesn't attempt to recreate the shocks of the original, instead doing something very different, providing some worthy chills of its own.
